Shades of AP English | Mythology

Mythology Review | Mythology | Edith Hamilton

books:


	• Mythology Edith Hamilton Back Bay Books, 1998 - 512 pages average customer review:based on 80 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

MYTHOLOGY by Edith Hamilton

Mythology is classicist Edith Hamilton's book on Greek, Roman and Norse mythology, illustrated by Steele Savage (no kidding). The bulk of the work is devoted to the Greek, and the Norse is mentioned only in passing. Myths are arranged thematically, not chronologically (except for the initial creation), which is disruptive to the flow of the work.

Hamilton does several things well. First, she gives history on the authors from whom these stories have descended, and differentiates between their styles. Second, she gives good insight into the character of the people of the time as well as into the character of the mythological figures. She obviously knows the material and cares about it.

Mythology reads like a history book. Many stories get wrapped up too quickly, and quite a few are told too simplistically. Many details are left out. The writing is juvenile at times, and paragraph flow is occasionally an issue. This is almost a Cliff's Notes on mythology. Ultimately, Hamilton makes most of these myths boring. Others, with too many details cut out, the reader will find hard to get into.

Mythology has some good things to offer, but on the whole, this is an inferior way to enjoy the myths. This book may be useful to some as a quick-reference guide, but that's about it.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

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Shades of AP English

I believe, deep in my heart, that everyone who has attended high school in the past twenty to thirty years or so (in the United States, at least) owned a ratty, most likely used copy of this work at one time or another. This book has been on the required reading list of so many schools that nearly everyone has seen it, owned it, and opened it at least twice.

This is one only two such books I still have, 15 years out of high school: this and Strunk and White. This is a good book to have lying around the house, not because you need it every day, but because it is a great reference for things like settling family bets and cheating on the brown questions in Trivial Pursuit. Dig it out of the boxes in your basement sometime, under the term paper from freshman comp, and have a look over it. It really is a great reference guide to ancient mythos, it's easily accessible, and well written. Generations of high school teachers can't be all THAT wrong.

Well, except maybe for making us all read Moby Dick.

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Mythology Review

This book was a requirement for my AP class, and it definitely served its purpose. I do know that you should find the latest edition because it has all of the helpful stuff like author bios and the like. This collection of myhtologies is like cliff notes for nearly every mythological story imaginable.This means that if you truly want detailed informatioon, this may not be the correct purchase for you. For all school/educational purposes, this collection is well equipped to aid you in your endeavors.
Some may say that it does not give accurate accounts of certain events, but need i remind you that in mythology, there is no corrrect or set standard of a story. In mythology there are constantly changing elements, none of which transform the meaning of the story. This set of stories by Edith Hamilton actually tells the original/most famous version of the tale, then gives alternate endings/summaries of other versions.

Good Luck!

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the gold standard

Hamilton is definitely the gold standard for retelling these glorious, ancient myths. Her style is engaging and the structure of the book makes it very easy to keep track of such ridiculously branched family trees. This is much more than just a reference book...it's more like a giant Greek fairytale book.

This volume aims to bring to life for the modern reader, the Greek, Roman and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present. Readers are introduced to the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla and can follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche and mighty King Midas, and discover the origins of the names of the constellations. The book explores the reference points for works of art, literature and cultural inquiry.

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