Mythos

An entertaining and interesting book about ancient Greek mythology written in a style that is recognisable as Stephen Fry (if you've ever watched him on QI). Originally, I had been looking for a book on ancient Greek mythology that was written in a modern way and would be both easy to understand and fluid and I think this book fulfilled those criteria. I had read books on Ulysses (Odysseus I think he's also known as), Theseus, Hercules, Jason and the Argonauts and Perseus as well as seeing a few films about said characters (although they are not really covered in this book because as Fry mentions you would need several books to tell their stories) and so wanted to find a book that tells other myths such as the creation of the Greek Gods, the Titans and some of the less well known characters in Greek myth such as Prometheus, Sisyphus, Persephone, but because I am not a classics scholar I didn't really feel that I would particularly enjoy reading translated ancient texts so this book was just about right and ideal for what I wanted. Fry does use some complicated words (although he'd probably recommend I use a dictionary) but I still found this to be, on the whole, easily understandable, a great read and it ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for. Fry's writing style is (as I'd imagine the man himself to be) charming, intelligent and informative with a sense of wit and of course there are plenty of footnotes as he adds extra bits of information as he tells the stories. Also, he does add a sources section at the end of the book for those who wish to delve further which I think is an excellent idea. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest about ancient Greek mythology (although not sure if it's ideal for children), especially if you want to learn about the Greek Gods, the Titans and the many myths and stories associated with them but rather than using this as a definitive guide it should be seen as an entry point to a fascinating subject.

Ancient Greek mythology has always fascinated me with all that beauty, chaos, pettiness, and drama but it's also previously confused me. Stephen Fry brings order to the madness. He gathers the best myths into a coherent narrative, adds a clear chronology, and shows how the gods connect, clash, and occasionally cooperate. It suddenly all feels readable rather than overwhelming. This is an easy, enjoyable book, helped massively by Fry's humour and wit. His retellings make the hierarchy of the gods feel accessible, without losing any of the grandeur or absurdity that makes Greek mythology so fun. My one niggle? The footnotes. I'm not a footnote person at all. They break the flow for me, and Fry uses them liberally. Not a deal-breaker, just a mild interruption. Overall, Mythos is absolutely worth picking up, especially with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey now in cinemas.

I found this to be an enjoyable book, well written and the stories and myths intertwined at times. Lots of names, I didn’t try to remember them too much, many you will be familiar with. It’s more a book of short stories than a novel.

First heard of Stephen Fry's book of Greek myths when he was interviewed, and I've always had a fascination of the stories. Brilliant for kids of all ages from 5 to 95. Had a few quiet giggles on some stories and a few gasps on some of the gruesome ones. Brilliant read. You can put it down and leave for a month or more and pick it up again, and its quick to carry on

Came in good time. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I absolutely adore the book but was really ashamed when the slip cover came wripped, scratched and discoloured. The hardcover was bent and split as well as the pages being worn and what looked like water damaged!?!? Really disappointed to send it back (still listened on audiobook and have ordered a new copy from another website)

Saw Stephen Fry tour with these books which was absolutely fantastic. This book is just more in depth to what he did. I knew bits of the Greek myths so this was great for going more indepth. This book took me back to sitting in the theatre listening to him. Its written in such an easy to understand and follow way. Recommend this book and should he ever tour it again, go see him live

I absolutely love the fun and slightly cheeky style that this book has been written. You can really feel a personality jumping out of the, sometimes difficult to follow, Greek mythology. I enjoyed the additional footnotes and the original way of trying to install some what of a time line.

Funny and well written, an absolute must for any fan of mythology.

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A releitura feita pelo autor é sensacional!!!

1. Libro arrivato in perfette condizioni e un paio di giorni prima del previsto. 2. La mitologia greca ri-raccontata con umorismo e semplicità! Se poi conosci la voce di Stephen Fry, lo leggi con le sue voci in mente! Non potevo non acquistare anche i seguiti! (4 libri in tutto, si conclude con l’odissea)

Such a nice book! I like how the myths were told with the author's comedic and funny storytelling. It is so interesting to learn how random things and concepts nowadays rooted from names of gods and goddesses. It's easy to understand and the words used are not that complicated.