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A review by wafflefonfabre
Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art by Lewis Hyde
Did not finish book.
1.0
TLDR:You might get one or two myths or fun facts from this like I did but I still think any other myth book would be better. This books wastes most of its page count examining one myth over and over with very few new details each time. Im so disappointed tricksters are my favorite myth archetype and I wanted to learn more about tricksters that may not be well known.
This is one of the worst mythology books I've ever read and I've read a lot of them. This book not only redefines trickster to a definition thats just mind bogglingly strange, Lewis redefines trickster to a boundary crosser or in-between being or crossroads god. He didn't even include cleverness or anything about playing a trick which is how most people categorize tricksters.
Despite redefining the word trickster to basically encompass any god he still excludes goddess from being tricksters despite the face I could think of 5 off the top of my head that fit in the normal and his definition. This book doesn't even focus on most tricksters. Its dull and mainly examining one myth, you heard me one myth. For a god who I would say is on the edge of being a trickster, Hermes.
Honestly your better off picking up a Edith Hamiltons Greek myth book or another other book on myth cause you will learn little here. Every time you think your gonna learn about a new trickster psyche! No its Hermes time again! You know I like Hermes but this is 100 pages of the same myth. It feels like a high schoolers essay that Lewis is stretching out to hit a page limit.
This is one of the worst mythology books I've ever read and I've read a lot of them. This book not only redefines trickster to a definition thats just mind bogglingly strange, Lewis redefines trickster to a boundary crosser or in-between being or crossroads god. He didn't even include cleverness or anything about playing a trick which is how most people categorize tricksters.
Despite redefining the word trickster to basically encompass any god he still excludes goddess from being tricksters despite the face I could think of 5 off the top of my head that fit in the normal and his definition. This book doesn't even focus on most tricksters. Its dull and mainly examining one myth, you heard me one myth. For a god who I would say is on the edge of being a trickster, Hermes.
Honestly your better off picking up a Edith Hamiltons Greek myth book or another other book on myth cause you will learn little here. Every time you think your gonna learn about a new trickster psyche! No its Hermes time again! You know I like Hermes but this is 100 pages of the same myth. It feels like a high schoolers essay that Lewis is stretching out to hit a page limit.