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Title: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton ISBN: 0-446-60725-8 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.14 (28 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A good book for entertainment or education
Comment: Hamilton's mythology deserves its place with Bulfinch's mythology as one of the primary anthologies of classical mythology. Although the book covers Greek/Roman myths thoroughly, the Norse myths are touched upon only briefly, which is why I have given the book four stars rather than five. Nonetheless, the quality of the book is excellent, and it is useful as a volume to be read for entertainment, and as a classroom primer (I myself have taught a Mythology class using it as the primary textbook). Hamilton's retellings are engaging, and her scholasticism is evident throughout--a small example is her use of the less popular Roman names for the primary gods (Jupiter, Juno, Mars, etc.) when they are found in myths of Roman origin. Hamilton also includes information at the beginning of most chapters about the source of the myth and its author, which is very helpful. She synthesizes the longer myths, such as the Trojan War (found in the Iliad) and the quest for the golden fleece in such a way as to highlight their major events and give the reader a flavor of their content. Overall, I have not encountered a better survey of classical mythology in one volume. Incidentally, if the reader desires more information on the Norse Myths, I recommend Kevin Crossley-Holland's Norse Myths, which is also an excellent volume.
Rating: 5
Summary: Edith Hamilton's classic introduction to classical mythology
Comment: Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" tell the "Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" of classical mythology and this volume, first written in 1942, is now a timeless classic itself. This was the first book of mythology that I ever read and it is still the best. When Hamilton retells the love story of Cupid and Psyche or the tragedy of Agamemnon and his children, she does so with a full sense of what it meant when first told by Apuleius or Aeschylus. These are not children's tales, but the heroic legends and religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks. Furthermore, the illustrations by Steele Savage have the elegance of wood block prints, which, for all I know, is exactly what they are. I appreciate Hamilton's choice to avoid relying on Ovid, for while the "Metamorphoses" is the most comprehensive ancient text dealing with the classical myths, Ovid is an unbeliever. For Hamilton the writings of Homer, Hesiod and Pindar are more abbreviated in terms of providing details for the myths, but at least they take the tales seriously.
Another strength of the book is how she organizes the myths in her seven parts: (1) Covers the complete pantheon of deities, including the lesser gods of Olympus and Earth and the later Roman additions, as well as the earliest heroes. (2) Retells the various tales of love, between mortals and the gods or each other, along with the Quest for the Golden Fleece and other early heroic adventures. (3) Focuses specifically on the greatest heroes, Perseus, Theseus and Hercules, with Atalanta thrown in the mix in a curious but understandable editorial decision by Hamilton. (4) Puts together Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid into a giant epic stretching from the Judgment of Paris to the founding of Roman, with the Odyssey and the tragedies of Euripides. (5) Tells about the great mythological families, namely the House of Atreus (Agamemnon), the Royal House of Thebes (Oedipus and Antigone), and the Royal House of Athens. (6) Covers all of the lesser myths, most notably Midas. (7) Goes off in a new direction, providing a very brief introduction to Norse mythology that seems woefully inadequate given the comprehensive compilation of classical mythology that precedes it.
I looked over other possibilities as a basic textbook for an introductory mythology course, but I keep coming back to this one. If you want analysis of these myths, then you certainly want to look elsewhere. But if you want a solid retelling of virtually every tale of classical mythology, then Edith Hamilton's volume is still at the top of the list.
Rating: 4
Summary: Very Good Greek Myth Encyclopedia
Comment: Edith Hamilton's "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" is a very easy to access reference to most of the myths of Ancient Greece. The big ones are all here; the Creation, Hercules, Theseus, the Trojan War, and a lot of many lesser myths. All the classics like Apollonius of Rhodes, Sophocles, Euripides, and of course Homer are discussed in an easy to understand form; the story. The myths arn't discussed in esseys, they are told like someone is sitting there telling it to you. If there is a flaw, it is that the German myths are out of place. It is so brief, there's really nothing to it. They shouldn't be there. Over all, though, it's a good and very useful guide to the Greek Myths; above all, we may not believe in the gods anymore, but it's entertaining, and isn't that what it's all about.
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Title: The Dictionary of Classical Mythology by John Edward Zimmerman ISBN: 0553257765 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 June, 1983 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: Mythology by Edith Hamilton ISBN: 0316341517 Publisher: Back Bay Books Pub. Date: 14 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin ISBN: 0553259202 Publisher: Bantam Books for Young Readers Pub. Date: 01 September, 1984 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Sophocles: The Complete Plays by Paul Roche, E. A. Sophocles ISBN: 0451527844 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: 06 March, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Greek Gods and Heroes by Robert Graves ISBN: 0440932211 Publisher: Laure Leaf Pub. Date: 15 October, 1965 List Price(USD): $5.50 |
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