I believe, deep in my heart, that everyone who has attended high school in the past twenty to thirty years or so (in the United States, at least) owned a ratty, most likely used copy of this work at one time or another. This book has been on the required reading list of so many schools that nearly everyone has seen it, owned it, and opened it at least twice.

This is one only two such books I still have, 15 years out of high school: this and Strunk and White. This is a good book to have lying around the house, not because you need it every day, but because it is a great reference for things like settling family bets and cheating on the brown questions in Trivial Pursuit. Dig it out of the boxes in your basement sometime, under the term paper from freshman comp, and have a look over it. It really is a great reference guide to ancient mythos, it's easily accessible, and well written. Generations of high school teachers can't be all THAT wrong.

Well, except maybe for making us all read Moby Dick.

This book was a requirement for my AP class, and it definitely served its purpose. I do know that you should find the latest edition because it has all of the helpful stuff like author bios and the like. This collection of myhtologies is like cliff notes for nearly every mythological story imaginable.This means that if you truly want detailed informatioon, this may not be the correct purchase for you. For all school/educational purposes, this collection is well equipped to aid you in your endeavors.
Some may say that it does not give accurate accounts of certain events, but need i remind you that in mythology, there is no corrrect or set standard of a story. In mythology there are constantly changing elements, none of which transform the meaning of the story. This set of stories by Edith Hamilton actually tells the original/most famous version of the tale, then gives alternate endings/summaries of other versions.

Good Luck!

This book made me want to fall asleep! Just like some other reviewers, I don't suggest reading it unless it is required reading, which unfortunately it was for me. :( I had a lot of trouble understanding who was who due to the fact that characters were referred to by both their greek and roman names. I couldn't concentrate on the text for more than a minute at a time. I normally enjoy the majority of books, even when they are required. In fact, no matter how long a book is, even 400+ pages, I normally finish it in a day because I get sucked into it. Well, this book is definitly not one of the best books I have ever read. I don't recommend this book unless you have a high understanding of mythology and really enjoy it.

This book is the fundamental popular exposition on Western mythology, with particular emphasis on the Greek myths (as well as the Roman). It is the standard work for a popular audience and is excellent.

I would also recommend Joseph Campbell's books on mythology as well. Particular his Primitive Mythology, Oriental Mythology, Occidental Mythology, etc.

Mythology is classicist Edith Hamilton's book on Greek, Roman and Norse mythology, illustrated by Steele Savage (no kidding). The bulk of the work is devoted to the Greek, and the Norse is mentioned only in passing. Myths are arranged thematically, not chronologically (except for the initial creation), which is disruptive to the flow of the work.

Hamilton does several things well. First, she gives history on the authors from whom these stories have descended, and differentiates between their styles. Second, she gives good insight into the character of the people of the time as well as into the character of the mythological figures. She obviously knows the material and cares about it.

Mythology reads like a history book. Many stories get wrapped up too quickly, and quite a few are told too simplistically. Many details are left out. The writing is juvenile at times, and paragraph flow is occasionally an issue. This is almost a Cliff's Notes on mythology. Ultimately, Hamilton makes most of these myths boring. Others, with too many details cut out, the reader will find hard to get into.

Mythology has some good things to offer, but on the whole, this is an inferior way to enjoy the myths. This book may be useful to some as a quick-reference guide, but that's about it.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

I purchased this item for my son. He said it was good reading and had a lot of information.

Edith Hamilton (now passed) has a living work of art in her stead by the name of Mythology. This congolmerate work of the world's oldest known tales is likely the most concise and accredited version worthy of the haughtiest bookshelf.

I breezed through most of the short stories and really ate up the ones of tragic love and happily ever afters, but through this version, readers can easily distinguish the story being told and enjoy the characters. Hamilton's writing it prosaic and timeless, perfect for Greek Myths. This collection is something that can even be of use to students of all ages and I can easily see myself coming back to this book a great many times for not only learning but enjoyment.

Highly recommended read, especially for the Greek in all of us!

Edith Hamilton (now passed) has a living work of art in her stead by the name of Mythology. This congolmerate work of the world's oldest known tales is likely the most concise and accredited version worthy of the haughtiest bookshelf.

I breezed through most of the short stories and really ate up the ones of tragic love and happily ever afters, but through this version, readers can easily distinguish the story being told and enjoy the characters. Hamilton's writing it prosaic and timeless, perfect for Greek Myths. This collection is something that can even be of use to students of all ages and I can easily see myself coming back to this book a great many times for not only learning but enjoyment.

Highly recommended read, especially for the Greek in all of us!

This book, mythology by Edith Hamilton is a pretty good book for pleasure and it has pretty good information too. The only downside of this book is that it doesnt keep your intrest that well. After the introduction, most parts are exciting, but there are still a few dull parts.
This book goes through many sections of greek mythology and a bit of norse mythology at the end. At first, the book starts out with talking about the gods and goddesses and then it moves onto stories of the gods and demi gods. This is a easy to understand book that is also a lot of fun if you are looking at it from a certain point of view.

I've studied Norse Mythology for years. So, this being my first introduction to Greek or Roman mythology, I began interested, thinking I would enjoy learning the tales of the ancient Greek and Roman gods. As this was for a class, I was also hoping to be able to utilise the book in my studies towards the goal of understanding the material enough to write papers on the subject.

I was highly disappointed. After reading and nearly falling asleep through the first several sections (in small increments; this simply cannot be read straight through), I decided to flip to the back and see what the Norse section had to say. Upon reading the first several pages of the last segment of the book, my disgust with this book, and Edith Hamilton, was complete.

For twelve years I've read Norse mythology, read the Icelandic Sagas, studied into the history and culture of the Germanic, Norse, and Icelandic. I try, when I can, to read ever more difficult to find ancient sources on the topic. Imagine my shock when I read, after her (rather childish) dissertation of Odin, that: "Of the other gods, only five were important."

I can't imagine that anyone who had spent any time learning or studying mythology, or especially writing books on the subject, would make such an ignorant statement of the Norse Gods and Goddesses. Perhaps she does have good knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology, but I am highly sceptical. She seems confused that a `Goddess of Love' such as Freya should claim half the battle-slain. Perhaps this is because she is trying to link Aphrodite to Freya? Of course, that would be absurd. Freya is a highly complex Goddess, (and wasn't even on her list of `the five important ones').

I believe it would be in my best interests, as well as the interests of others, to look to other sources for knowledge of Classical Mythology. And if you, as I, have the misfortune to be assigned this book for a class, I suppose there's nothing to be done but muddle through, and go read a translation of Homer's classics, which I am about to do now.

This Is One I First Read In High School And Have Returned To Often.Dame Edith's Reference Book Is The Definative Encyclopedia Of Mythology.
This Is A Book That Can Be Read By Lovers Of Adventure At Any Age.Arranged In Interesting And Fun Chapters Starting With The Beginning Of The World Where Mother Earth And Father Heaven Give Birth To The Titans,To The Birth Of THEIR Children And How They Took Over The World When The Twelve Major Gods And Goddesses Overpowered Them,To The Forming Of Man And The Gift Of Woman To Him.From There It Branches To The Everyday Heros And The Children Of The Gods-Jason And The Argonauts,Hercules,Perseus And His Battle With Medusa,And Many More.
All Of These Wonderous Stories Are Here To Enjoy Over And Over And Over Again.And You Can Find And Love Them In This Volume.It Even Includes Their Roman Counterparts And An Introduction To Egyptian Mythology As Well.You Won't Be Bored,And You Will Never Be Tired Of Them.
What The Magic Of Reading Is Made Of.

I'm not going to review the contents of the book. For that,you might want to read other people's reviews.
Do you remember when you were forced to read this book in highschool? You didn't appreciate its beauty then but you will today. Why? Because this book is a masterpiece and it belongs sitting on the top shelf of everyone's library. The amount of time and work Edith Hamilton must have spent collecting these stories from various sources and putting them together is incomprehensible. She then widdles them down to some of the finest and most comprehensible overviews of Greek mythology ever written. I'm glad that I chose to revisit this book once again.

My item came in EXCELLENT condition in a very timely manner. I was impressed!

I purchased this book for a school assignment, and went into reading it with the premonition that I wouldn't enjoy it. My experience was quite the contrary; I enjoyed it more than any other school reading. This book is a very interesting read that is well written and easy to understand. Highly recommended for anyone interested in ancient cultures or theology.

I found the book well-written and clear in flow. If you want to know something about the well-known myths, which are still influencing the literary tradition even today, read it. It has a good structure and does not seem to have the problems of 'organisation' as mentioned by some reviewers.

My English teacher insists that the youth of America is losing culture. So, it is her tradition to assign this fairly large book for reading, so that we are all somewhat versed in the basics of Greek mythology and can recognize the various allusions to it in literature.

What I thought would be a torturous experience turned out to be a rather enjoyable one. I found most of the stories to be well-told and extremely interesting. Edith Hamilton makes sure to leave no detail untold in her accounts of the various lives and actions of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

It is over a year later, and I still use this book as a reference for any sort of literary allusion or reference to Greek mythology. So for those considering this book for pure reference purposes, the book contains a massive index to help you find just about any and every character in Greek mythology.

While I agree with some reviewers that the end section on Norse mythology is out of place, it wasn't necessarily poorly written as some claim.

Overall, an excellent purchase for anyone who reads literature, or is just interested in the ancient Greek myths.

This really is one of the best books out there on myths. The one problem I had though is that I found it a little complicating to understand. I had to read it a couple of times to get the full picture. However, it really is a good read. More then likely should be used as an introduction.

I came to Hamilton's book with no background whatsoever in Greek (or any) Mythology. Being somewhat ashamed of this fact, I consulted the reviews here (at amazon) and my local library to find Hamilton's Mythology.

I really did love reading this book. As breathtaking as it is, with so many names and alternate names to keep track of, I still thoroughly enjoyed the read. I wasn't submerged in the subject beyond my comfort level as a novice, but still found the content at hand extremely enlightening for the sake of analyzing western culture. Of course, there are myriad references to mythological stories and events even in modern literature and scholarship, so the overview I received from Hamilton helped me to understand some of those references that I recalled from my earlier readings in other subjects. I was appreciative of the fact that her book was as accessible as it was. Though others may have viewed her language as "dumbed-down", I thought her lack of condescension was very welcome, especially for my level of comprehension of the subject.

Hamilton's book has opened the doors, so to speak. I have since purchased copies of the Iliad and the Odyssey and am reading them now. I plan to look into other primary sources in the future.

Nice overview for someone new to Greek mythology. It covers the major figures and stories, but for anyone who has studied mythology, it is overly simplistic. The stories have been "sanitized," possibly for a younger audience. For example, Aphrodite is said to have sprung from the foam, but Hamilton chooses to omit the Uranus story explaining why she came out of the foam in the first place. Those with a serious interest in Greek mythology should look elsewhere.

Hamilton's book is a fairly complete overview of the mythology. She covers both the most famous and more obscure myths, leaving the reader with a fair understanding of the entire area of knowledge. The myths are written in both an entertaining and informative manner.

Hamilton tends to take a somewhat optimistic view of the Greeks and Romans, seeming to view them as the very height of all civilization. She forgives or glosses over many of the darker aspects of the myths. This may have something to do with the fact that this book is often found in junior high and high school libraries.

Nevertheless, she gives a fairly complete picture of mythology. She includes the frequent oddities and irrationalities of the gods as well as their human counterparts. She is also to be congratulated for including a full explanation of which ancient writers gave her the information for certain areas of the book.

This is an awesome book about Greek and Roman mythology. Hamilton is obviously very passionate about the subject, but she doesn't let emotion get in the way of her writing. She tells the myths like they are, occasionally using passages from other writers, like Ovid. Also included are family trees of the gods, heroes, and houses of ancient Greece, a short section on Norse mythology, and illustrations of scenes from the myths. This is a very refreshing mythology book to read-and it's so entrancing I read my copy in a day!

Includes:
Part I, The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes
Part II, Stories of Love and Adventure
Part III, The Great Heroes before the Trojan War
Part IV, The Heroes of the Trojan War
Part V, The Great Families of Mythology
Part VI, The Less Important Myths
Part VII, The Mythology of the Norsemen

I first read this book as a child and it was the first book I ever wore out. It relates all the key Graeco-Roman myths, with Norse myths treated perfunctorily at the end. Hamilton learned Greek and Latin as a little girl and wrote her books late in life; they read like the works of someone who spent a lifetime reading the classics for personal pleasure. Readers using this book as an introductory guide should be aware of Hamilton's prejudices: she prefers the Greeks to the Romans, and writers who believed in the stories to those who did not. As a result, you might be wrongly discouraged from classical authors such as Ovid (whom Hamilton seems to actively despise), even though Ovid's worldview is strikingly similar to our modern one and his writing vivid and enjoyable. But if you approach this book as an opinionated presentation by a genuine enthusiast, as opposed to an effort at scholarly objectivity, you will not likely regret being caught up in the passion the author brought to this material.

As a long-time student of mythology, I was generally disappointed with this book. It hardly appreciates the richness of Greek mythology; Hamilton rather plods through the stories in Greek mythology (the book ought to be called "Greek and Roman Mythology," as it is mostly stories from ancient Greek culture, and its imitators, the Romans), except for that last chapter on Norse mythology. The only useful parts are the introductory chapters, which provide a nice overview of the themes of Greco-Roman mythology, how it came about, brief bios of major writers, etc, and the genealogical tables at the back of the book. For a better introduction to mythology, and a book that encompasses more than Greco-Roman mythology, read Michael Macrone's "Brush Up Your Mythology."

The major fault of Edith Hamilton's classic Mythology also serves as its greatest strength. Hamilton edited this collection in a very conservative social mileu, and chose to edit out and play down much of the sex and violence one typically finds in the greek myths. However, that choice makes it an excellent selection to give teens and pre-teens their first introduction to the world of Zues, Perseus, Hercules, and the rest.

Several other intructory books on myths are available, but this remains the classic. Other less sanitized collections, however, are probably better for older readers.

The myths are well presented and organized. A short section on Norse myth, though prefunctory and not Hamilton's speciality, provides in theresting contrast and good fun for young readers. The essays included are good, though not the books greatest strength. They are nontheless worthwhile as they sketch out the complex interrelationships between the greek gods and heroes offering the reader substantial intellectual stimulation.

Edith Hamilton's very popular 'Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes' is a very basic, very popular and very good text for the introduction of Greek and Roman mythology. This book by Hamilton, simply entitled 'Mythology' is an expansion of the material in the shorter book. Largely, however, it is a repetition of the same material.

In our Western culture, the term 'mythology' is most often equated with these tales, and Hamilton, first writing before World War II, has helped to reinforce that equation with the current generations of readers.

Those looking for the mythological stories of other cultures will be disappointed -- with the exception of a brief section on Norse mythology at the end (about five percent of the entire volume), it covers nothing outside the Greek and Roman pantheons. Of course, part of the difficulty of approaching mythology of other cultures is that, in many instances, it is not mythology to them; or, in the case of mythology, one needs a firmer grounding in the culture and religious aspects of that culture before the mythology becomes accessible.

Hamilton (raised, as I was astonished to discover, in Indiana, where I currently reside) studied at Bryn Mawr, and had a distinguished teacher career in addition to writing this useful text. Hamilton's writing is not complicated and very easy to follow -- this has made her texts selected often for high school and undergraduate courses in Greek and Roman mythology, more frequently perhaps than any other text produced in this century.

Hamilton begins the text with an essay giving an overview of what mythology is, and what the purpose of it was.

'Through it,' she wrote, 'we can retrace the path from civilised man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; and the real interest of the myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with trees and seas and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel.'

She proceeds with a brief history of the development of Greek mythology, the origins of the stories lost in the mists of time. She tells of the influences of Greek thought on subsequent developments in thought and religion: 'Saint Paul said the invisible must be understood by the visible. That was not a Hebrew idea, it was Greek.' Unlike most religious constructs, the Greek mythological world tried to make sense of the greater life of the universe in terms that were very human indeed, with a minimum of mystery. 'The terrifying irrational has no place in classical mythology.'

This is not to say, of course, that there were not terrible stories and fantastic creatures -- indeed, the mythological stories are full of them -- Gorgons and hydras and chimaeras dire. But these are mostly metaphorical (and were understood as such), and primarily used for a hero to be made (this same idea has pervaded to the most recent Mission Impossible movie).

Hamilton proceeds after this essay to describe the members of the pantheon, the major and minor gods and goddesses, the ideas of creation, the heroes (human, semi-divine and divine), stories of love and devotion, justice and injustice, and, of course, of warfare, victory, defeat, and courage. Those heroes before the Trojan War, perhaps the Greek-mythological-equivalent of a world war, had battles and dire circumstances to fight and overcome. The Trojan War figured largely in the mythological frameworks of Greece and Rome -- all the gods and goddess were involved in this conflict, it seemed, as were many of the heroes of Greek mythology.

Hamilton, writing in a fairly conservative period of time, and in a fairly conservative culture, sanitised the mythological stories to a large extent. The Greeks were a very human and often rather bawdy bunch; the Romans were even moreso. Much of the sexuality in the mythological stories is omitted, save to demonstrate the less-desirable aspects. Quite often, undergraduates who study mythology are astonished to discover, if they had used Hamilton's text in an earlier high school setting, that there is a lot more sex and violence in the 'real' stories than they had been previously exposed to.

Of course, one of the primary aspects of the mythological tales was not to explain the cosmos or to build complex theological constructs (reason did these, often with help from the myths, but not using the myths as the basis), but rather the illustration of moral truths -- those of honesty, virtue, and courage as primarily valued in Greek and Roman society. Evil befalls those who do not lead a moral life; rewards come to those who do. Of course, there is a bit of whimsy in the cosmos -- bad things happen to good people, etc., even in ancient Greece. The fluctuating personalities of the gods (and the number of them) ultimately gives a satisfying explanation (if not a satisfying reason) why such things might occur.

I came to love this book as a child, and I continue to enjoy it and benefit from it as a twentysomething adult. Understanding the root Greek and Roman stories can lead to a much fuller and richer understanding of Western culture, including literature, movies, art - even comic books and cartoons.

This a great collection of stories (with wonderful illustrations) for students and others interested in getting a sense of various myths and stories - large one like the search for the Golden Fleece, the Trojan War, the wanderings of Ulysses, the labors of Hercules, and smaller ones like King Midas, Orpheus, etc. This book recounts the stories, but it doesn't seek to interpret them. You'll have to dig deeper for that, and Hamilton helps you on your way by providing her sources.

If you enjoy this book, you may want to read the originals, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, the Argonautika; the works of the Greek playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; and other works like Ovid's Metamorphoses and some the Norse and northern European epics and sagas - Beowulf, the Prose Edda, etc.

This isn't a definitive reference or mythological encyclopedia; it's a starting place for a really wonderful trip. I encourage you to give it a try - and to give it as a gift to young people in your life.

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.

Looking at the title of the book, I thought this book would be a collection of myths. Upon looking at the list of other titles by Edith Hamilton (like "The Greek Way" and "The Roman Way"), I felt that this would be more of the history of mythology. This book is a blend of these two ideas.

The book is not organized to be a quick reference. It tells the main stories and characters as well as gives a brief section on the minor figures. For each section, the author explains where she is getting the material (for instance, from Homer or from Ovid) with a little editorial comment. Then, she relates the myth. She is giving you the story, but it does not read like a story. It reads like a college instructor giving you the highlights of the story with the occasional comment.

Although the bulk of the myths covered are either Greek or Roman, Hamilton does include some Norse mythology. Given the difference in worldview difference, I would like to have seen more contrasting of the differences.

I found this book to be a great review of the Greek and Roman myths. I found that the differences between the Greek and Roman interpretations of the same basic myth to be very interesting. It is not a substitute for reading the myths themselves, and for this, Hamilton does mention the authors and, sometimes, the play or poem. I would recommend this book.

I used this book back when I was in highschool in the 80s and had to buy it again to refresh myself. Its a real classic. It has all the great myths. Each one is short and sweet so you can read through the myths you might be wondering about without having to read through long myth stories. The writing style is accessible and colorful. Definitely and enjoyable read.

All the important Greek and Roman mythology is included in this work, with a few "Norse tales" tacked onto the end for flavoring, one supposes. The Norse myths comprise the book's final "Part Seven", which runs only from page 443, to the end at page 462. These myths of the Northern European Peoples appear after "Part Six", which bears the rubric "The Less Important Myths".

Only indirectly, and briefly does the author mention such German myths as The Nibelungenleid and Parzival, and then she merely dismisses them thus: "Sigurd is the most famous of Norse heroes; his story is largely that of the hero of the Nibelungenleid, Siegfried... I have not gone into it, however."

There are no Celtic myths. The legend of Arthur's round table at Camelot is omitted, and so are the tales of Roland and the Paladins of Charlemagne. The Holy Grail is nowhere to be found, and there is not a single word about Uncle Remus.

All that having been said, one must wonder if the title "Mythology" isn't overstating, just a bit. It certainly leads to disappointment if a reader makes his decision based on the title alone. Perhaps "Classical Mythology" would better suit the text.

All of the above doesn't make this a bad book. Actually, the author has turned in a workman-like performance, and all the Greek and Roman foundation tales of Western Civilization are included.

I have found the dust jacket blurbs, on my 1942-copyright, used edition, to be interesting reading... this book is a good place to get acquainted with classical mythology.

I bought this to answer questions and settle arguments about Greek and Roman mythology in various word-based game forums. It is a classic and a standard reference. It does little with any mythology of non-mediterranean people.

The parallels between the Bible and many of the stories in classic mythology are truly fascinating. The chicken and the egg question is not my goal here, but I must say that the lines can certainly be fuzzy if one does not have a solid foundation on which to stand. This book is a classic in the realm of mythology and is truly a good reference to have around.

This book is by no means boring. All the myths are very interesting and fun to read. This book shows you that the gods are most defenitely not fluff.

Long ago in pre-history, 1973 to be exact, in the age of vinyl records, before the Internet and Play Station and Cable T.V. and the almost insulting stuff that gets peddled to kids these days as entertainment, an acne faced 13 year old bought this book because, in those days, the cover had this guy holding a sword and a severed head on the front, (Perseus holding the head of Medusa), and I thought COOL! And I fell in love with these wonderful stories. I still have that much worn, much loved, much dog-eared paperback on my book shelves that later in life inspired me to read other myths of other times and places, which lead me to James Joyce, Flannery O'Connor and T.C.Boyle and a life-long head over heels romance with literature. Edith Hamilton's book is a good beginning for anyone at any age to begin, or continue, the remarkable adventure that is human story telling.

it was boaring. don't read it

Reading this book is like reading a textbook. I would not recommend reading this book unless it is an assignment. This book is extrememly boring and i found myself reading the same paragraph over and over because I could not focus on the book.

Perhaps spirit is the wrong word. It is obvious by the late Miss Hamilton's writing that she harbors quite an affinity for the Græco-Roman/Norse myths and cultures. However knowledgeable and talented she is at non-fiction and discussion, the actual tellings of the myths emerge as dull and tedious. If the prospective reader is looking for a thorough and well-crafted reference guide with brief recounts of the myths with little poetry or other flairs for the dramatic, this book is a fine choice. On the other hand, if one wants a reference guide that is entertaining as well, they will be more satisfied with "Bulfinch's Mythology" as long as it has an index and glossary. If the reader desires not reference but pure entertainment value, and does not wish to read translated Homer, Virgil, Ovid, etc., I suggest "Gods, Heroes, and Men of Ancient Greece," by W.H.D. Rouse. The book is written as a storyteller would deliver the myths.

This book is hot, it kicks, it rocks, it rules. Can't say it enough; this is phenomenal storytelling, this is pure unsullied love for classic myth, this is beautiful. You cannot find a more complete source than this. All the stories are there, all the details, every little insignificant character. You want animated tale-spinning, you have it here. All the passion and the morals and the humour and the fire and the history and the charm and the beauty and the mystery...collected into this single volume. It's a crime not to read it.

I have to say that I am a TOTAL mythology freak, and Ms. Hamilton's book really exemplifies the ideals to which other mythological compilers must compare. I had just rediscovered the book for my 9th grade English class (Thanks Ms. Warner!), after having read it many years ago along with D'Aulaires. (spell check BTW) Sorry if I tend to ramble, but there are simply not enough superlatives to attest to her work.

(P.S.--Theseus is only HALF mortal as the son of Poseidon, but other than that, the accuracy was remarkable).

Read On, ~V~Aquila~V~

A great book! It really got me fascinated with Greek and Roman mythology:

If you have even a little interest in mythology, then this is one of the best books to start with. It is comprehensive, well written, and extremely enjoyable. It accurately explains gods, goddesses, myths, and legends. I consider this book a classic and a must-have read.

Decen

It was allright. It was rather boring at times, but some parts were okay.

I had to read this book for my 9th grade Enighish class i thought it would suck but it got kinda intersting and it was a pretty good book for a into to mythology!!!!!!!!

A fairly good introduction to mythology. The sources aren't always followed as closely as the author claims, and to contradict the author, OVID RULES!

This book is what first got me interested in mythology. It provides an in depth look at Graeco-Roman mythology, and even includes a brief section on the Nordic pantheon. This book is EXCELLENTLY written and very knowledgable. The only thing it lacks is proper citations. But for someone who is just starting to read mythological texts, this book is a GREAT start!

I had to do this big mythology project for english class and I didn't understand at all this book helped alot!

When I first started reading this extraordinary book, I couldn't put it down! It's especially great because not only does it tell myths of the Greek Gods and Goddess', Hamilton provides many adventures of Mythical heroe's and the major offspring's of Zeuss. I reccommend reading MYTHOLOGY if you ever have to do a report on Greece - or just for the enjoyment!!!

I had to read this book in my English 1 class, and even though I thought it would be a drag, I was suprised at the information I got from it. By the way, I am 15 and a freshman at Oak Grove High. Anyway, I now have a very strong knowledge of mythology and I thank Edith Hamilton for writing such a good book and a great leaning tool for us kids in High school