Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
Edith Hamilton loved the ancient Western myths with a passion--and this classic compendium is her tribute. "The tales of Greek mythology do not throw any clear light upon what early mankind was like," Hamilton explains in her introduction. "They do throw an abundance of light upon what early Greeks were like--a matter, it would seem, of more importance to us, who are their descendents intellectually, artistically, and politically. Nothing we learn about them is alien to ourselves." Fans of Greek mythology will find all the great stories and characters here--Perseus, Hercules, and Odysseus--each discussed in generous detail by the voice of an impressively knowledgeable and engaging (with occasional lapses) narrator. This is also an excellent primer for middle- and high-school students who are studying ancient Greek and Roman culture and literature. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
Great Introduction to Mythology
Customer Rating:
My father had a copy of this book when I was growing up, and I read it and re-read it multiple times. I loved the stories and still do. So, of course I had to buy a copy for my kids to (hopefully) pick up and read, and sure enough, my youngest now keeps it on her nightstand, and constantly has her nose in it. When the book arrived, it was like seeing an old friend I hadn't seen in years (even though I've now moved on to Robert Graves "The Greek Myths" as my "go-to" version for Greek mythology).
Edith Hamilton's version was completed some 50 years ago, but it still holds up as a great introduction for high school and junior high students to these timeless stories. Her prose is clear and direct, and she provides great summaries of some of the lesser known tales, in a way that will keep the interest of any younger reader. This book was NEVER intended to rival Bulfinch's mythology, a book that to this day I refuse to buy because I find it tedious, turgid, stultifying, and sterile. I would rather have my teeth drilled than read Bulfinch's mythology. I would rather be thrown into a cage filled with a hundred starving, rabid weasels than read Bulfinch's mythology. I would rather be tied up and forced to ride the "It's a Small World" ride at Disney World 100 times in a row and have that insipid little ditty implanted into my brain for a week than read Bulfinch's mythology. Did I mention that I don't like Bulfinch's mythology?
And why do I dislike Bulfinch so much? Because after reading Edith Hamilton's take on the Greek myths on my own time, purely for pleasure, as a young teenager, I had Bulfinch foisted upon me by my high school, which, for those of you who care, included a curriculum that featured some grounding in the ancient Greek and Roman cultures. So I have had the chance to sample both, first-hand. And if my goal was to turn-off a young reader from learning about our classical heritage, I couldn't think of a better way to do it than to force Bulfinch upon them. It is written at an inappropriately high level for that age. Thankfully I had a chance to read these stories in a more friendly format, thanks to Miss Hamilton, so I wasn't permanently discouraged from ever hearing them. No, I think a book written at the high school level, like Edith Hamilton's, that doesn't dumb the stories down to the point of insulting the reader, but doesn't lose them with dense prose either, is just the ticket for someone in high school, or someone just being introduced to these stories.
I still don't like Bulfinch (obviously) - I'll take the Robert Graves version as an adult, thank you very much.
In short, Edith Hamilton's Mythology is highly recommended for your kids, or for you if you're delving into these marvelous stories for the first time. Oh yeah - it has really cool pen-and-ink illustrations throughout it as well. These are stories that have stood the test of time for 2000 years. What's not to like?
Not Too Thrilled...
Customer Rating:
Hmm. Wasn't really thrilled with this book. I found it to be a bit dry and boring. Hamilton has a way of cramming so much plot into each story. Consequently, something is lost in translation...
A Teacher's Opinion of the Text
Customer Rating:
MYTHOLOGY is the text I was given when I first started teaching my mythology class for juniors and seniors. Boy, was I in for a disappointment. Not only does Edith Hamilton blandly summarize every story, but she leaves out many of the details that students are eager to absorb. She also spends plenty of time quoting poetry, without giving a clear indication who the poet is or why she suddenly begins a recitation in the middle of the paragraph. This book is NOT a good text for a high school mythology class. Some teachers argue that the elevated language and confusing sentence structure is good practice for kids, but when it makes it nearly impossible to appreciate the myths held captive by such literary labyrinths, it's not worth it.
Bullfinch's Mythology is a much better choice in my opinion. His language is even loftier, but he attempts to dramatize the myths whereas Hamilton can't seem to breathe any life into them.
Mythology
Customer Rating:
A excellent classic collection of myths. If anything I would have liked to see more information on each of the myths.
Looks borrowed
Customer Rating:
When i ordered this book and it arrived i was initially happy but that didnt last for long because when i opened it, it had a school return form stuck to the inside of it meaninig it had to be returned to the school.
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