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| Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes | 
 enlarge | Author: Edith Hamilton
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (52 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6773
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.2 x 1
ISBN: 0446607258
Dewey Decimal Number: 292.13
EAN: 9780446607254
ASIN: 0446607258
Publication Date: August 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 not my type October 8, 2007
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
I thought this book was so boring. I had to force myself to read it. I had to read it for school, i had to end up finding the summary so i wouldn't have to read the rest.I know that its considered a classic, i guess this was seriously not my type of book. I give it 2 stars because it could have been worst.
Well known telling of major "tales of gods and heroes" August 19, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a long standing work on mythology. The emphasis is on Greek and Roman tales, with a too brief discussion of Norse mythology. That some of the other reviewers mention it in the same breath as Bulfinch is testimony to the volume's value.
The work features a nice introductory essay to "set up" the discussion of Greek and Roman myths. There is also a rather unsatisfying brief introduction to the underdeveloped section on Norse mythology.
The first part features "The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes." Here, Hamilton examines the array of gods, the stories of creation, and early heroes (such as Prometheus, Europa, and Polyphemus [hero??]). Part Two explores "Stories of Love and Adventure." In this segment, Hamilton considers Cupid and Psyche, and a series of tales of love (e.g., Pyramus and Thisbe, Orpheus and Eurydice, and so on). Also, the story of the Golden Fleece is retold.
Part Three summarizes "The Great Heroes before the Trojan War," including renderings of Perseus, Theseus, and the great Hercules. Part Four, as one might have anticipated, looks at "The Heroes of the Trojan War." Hamilton spends time on a number of figures and stories, such as Paris, the fall of Troy, Odysseus' post-Troy adventures, and the travails of Aeneas.
Part Five considers "Great Families of Mythology," such as the Houses of Atreus (think Agamemnon and Iphigenia), Thebes (Cadmus, Oedipus, Antigone), and Athens. Hamilton then moves to Part Six, where she summarizes the stories of "The Less Important Myths," including Midas, Glaucus and Scylla, inter alia.
Part Seven, as already noted, is a too brief coverage of "The Mythology of the Norsemen."
And, finally, a wonderfully helpful genealogy at the end (e.g., Ancestors of Perseus and Hercules, the House of Troy, and so on).
This is well written and shows considerable erudition. There are some problems in coverage as noted, but, in the end, this is still a welcome volume.
 If you like greek mythology then buy this book August 16, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read this book of my own free will. this book is quite amazing,the detail and research she puts in is astounding. i am the kind of person to always take notes on the books i read and the extensive index she has is incredibly useful.
some people that have read this say its dry and boring, i read a lot of books and from my experience there are a lot dryer authors, and to really be a book of information, you can't expect it to be the most attention grabbing book of all time.
any way, if greek mythology is an interest of yours you will love this book.
A good introduction June 26, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I first read this book in sixth grade, and instantly fell in love with it. I loved the concept of mythology and loved how the book was written. I didn't find the boring aspects everyone else seemed to find. I devoured the book whole, and now, years later, I bought it. I was curious to see if the magic would hit me twice.
It did, in a sense. I vaguely remembered the stories, so the aspect of surprise and shock in some of the stories was ruined for me. Granted, when I first read it I was very young, but there were still some things that were more enjoyable to read the first time. Since then, I've moved onto other classic mythology books, and have found them to be very enjoyable too.
It is true, yes, that Edith Hamilton writes well, but overall the book is dry. It is true that this is a mere introduction and does not present us with every tale in the history of various mythologies (the Norse mythology section is pitifully short - I'd turn elsewhere for that). Overall, though, it's an enjoyable introduction, an easy read (if you can deal with the dryness), and an overall good book. It's convenient on the shelf and can serve you for many years to come.
A pretty good buy, but more serious readers should head towards more serious books, even if they'll be more difficult to read.
not bad for required reading August 13, 2006
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I had to read this book for humanities 9 in high school and its really good, especially for a required reading. The way the story is explained is excelled and easy to follow, except that i am horroble with names, especially forign ones so of course i had troube following, but if you can catch on to the names, you will have an enjoyable read
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