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hedgewinnery's reviews
263 reviews
A Short History Of Myth by Karen Armstrong
fast-paced
0.5
Picked up on a whim from my library to see just how successfully the author fit thousands of years of global mythology into just over 150 pages. The answer is not particularly successfully.
Aside from a lot of speculation presented as a solidity regarding paleolithic & neolithic spirituality, a very unsupported assertion of Artemis as the Great Goddess, a tinge of misogyny around a lot of it, & generally uninteresting conclusions, the breadth and depth of global mythologies were slimmed down to just the global north. From those, the majority were a name, practice and "look, see? Mythology!".
Despite that it was going to be a 2 star just for the scant pithy quotes that I'll be copying into a commonplace notebook, right up until I found the r-slur. In a book first published in 2005, when it was unacceptable, and then left in when it was republished in 2018, when it was even more unacceptable, in a context where it is meant as a complete derogatory remark devoid of any claim to "historical" context. A section where it was also used to justify ancient misogny. Beyond dissapointed & infuriated that at no point in the editing process was this flagged & removed/replaced with something more appropriate.
Aside from a lot of speculation presented as a solidity regarding paleolithic & neolithic spirituality, a very unsupported assertion of Artemis as the Great Goddess, a tinge of misogyny around a lot of it, & generally uninteresting conclusions, the breadth and depth of global mythologies were slimmed down to just the global north. From those, the majority were a name, practice and "look, see? Mythology!".
Despite that it was going to be a 2 star just for the scant pithy quotes that I'll be copying into a commonplace notebook, right up until I found the r-slur. In a book first published in 2005, when it was unacceptable, and then left in when it was republished in 2018, when it was even more unacceptable, in a context where it is meant as a complete derogatory remark devoid of any claim to "historical" context. A section where it was also used to justify ancient misogny. Beyond dissapointed & infuriated that at no point in the editing process was this flagged & removed/replaced with something more appropriate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Misogyny
The Oresteian Trilogy: Agamemnon; The Choephori; The Eumenides by Aeschylus
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Worshiping Power: An Anarchist View of Early State Formation by Peter Gelderloos
challenging
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
3.75
The Clovenstone Workings: A Manual of Early Modern Witchcraft by Robin Artisson
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
3.75
The Anatomy of Being by Shinji Moon
fast-paced
2.75
Would've been more impactful for me if I read it when I originally shelved it.
All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0