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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Edith Hamilton was an unrepentant racist, but that doesn't change the fact that this might be the best collection of Greek mythology you can find.
Fyrir þá sem hafa enga þekkingu á grískar goðsögur er bókin hennar Hamilton góður staður til að kynnast þeim magnaða heimi. Ef þú hefur hinsvegar þekkingu á þeim, jafnvel örlitla þekkingu, þá fer hún ekki nægilega djúpt nokkrar goðsögur. Það kom stundum fyrir að hún nefndi ekki ákveðinn atriði sem ég man sjálfur eftir að hafa lesið eða heyrt. Þurfti ég stundum að kíkja á wiki til þess að fá lengri frásögn á sumum goðsögum. Henni tekst að gera goðsögurnar auðlesnar og áhugaverðar en sumar af þeim töpuðu mikið af áhugaverðu innihaldi.
Hefði hún einnig átt að sleppa því að skrifa um norræna goðafræði þar sem hún gefur sér aðeins 20 bls. í það verkefni.
Hefði hún einnig átt að sleppa því að skrifa um norræna goðafræði þar sem hún gefur sér aðeins 20 bls. í það verkefni.
Format: Audiobook
I listened to this book during a cross-state drive primarily because it worked for multiple GR challenges. I assumed I wouldn't enjoy the book - happily, I was wrong. Suzanne Toren, the narrator, did a wonderful job bringing to life potentially dry material that might have you reliving bad history lessons. My only complaint was the shallow treatment of Norse mythology. In comparison to the depth and breadth of Hamilton's discussion of the Greek and Roman myths, having one chapter on Norse mythology seemed like filler. Her stated reason for the inclusion of these myths in the volume was valid, but, to me, unnecessary and turned a 5-star read into a 4-stars.
I listened to this book during a cross-state drive primarily because it worked for multiple GR challenges. I assumed I wouldn't enjoy the book - happily, I was wrong. Suzanne Toren, the narrator, did a wonderful job bringing to life potentially dry material that might have you reliving bad history lessons. My only complaint was the shallow treatment of Norse mythology. In comparison to the depth and breadth of Hamilton's discussion of the Greek and Roman myths, having one chapter on Norse mythology seemed like filler. Her stated reason for the inclusion of these myths in the volume was valid, but, to me, unnecessary and turned a 5-star read into a 4-stars.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
I read this book in 7th grade and remember how much I loved it. It started my love for Greek mythology.
informative
fast-paced
Edith Hamilton gives a comprehensive overview of Greek and Roman mythology. This book starts with a short bio of the author's life and then an introduction by the author. In that intro she explains that these myths were not created or used as a religion. Instead the ancients created gods, goddesses and stories to explain the inexplainable. Particularly natural phenomenon. It was fascinating to listen to these stories with that perspective. Hamilton does an excellent job of bringing the stories to life.
I did tire of the seemingly endless war and murder. Even the logic behind some of the murder made me feel uncomfortable. It was hard at times for me to remember that it was a different time, place and culture. I first read this book for high school English class. That was ages ago and I had forgotten a lot. The last few chapters covered Norse mythology. My impression of that was grim. There didn't feel like there was any joy in those stories.
I did tire of the seemingly endless war and murder. Even the logic behind some of the murder made me feel uncomfortable. It was hard at times for me to remember that it was a different time, place and culture. I first read this book for high school English class. That was ages ago and I had forgotten a lot. The last few chapters covered Norse mythology. My impression of that was grim. There didn't feel like there was any joy in those stories.
This was a super interesting take on mythologies that I've been exposed to for most of my life. Edith Hamilton did a thorough job of examining the development of the myths through Greek history. Every chapter begins with short segment on the Greek writers who wrote about the myths before her , and how she synthesized these disparate sources into her retellings.
I am however, taking one star off for the Norse myths. As evidenced by Neil Gaiman's book, there's a lot there, even if it's hard to get at. We got one story, and one brief summary. Not quite enough, in my opinion
I am however, taking one star off for the Norse myths. As evidenced by Neil Gaiman's book, there's a lot there, even if it's hard to get at. We got one story, and one brief summary. Not quite enough, in my opinion