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Bulfinch's Mythology:Gods and Heroes

Bulfinch's Mythology:Gods and Heroes

List Price: $34.95
Your Price: $22.02
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the greatest mind expanders ever assembled!
Review: I found Bulfinch's in our school library when I was in the 4th grade, eleven years old. My mother had to go before the school board to gain permission for me to check it out. Even then, I was not allowed to have the book at school! The pictures and stories, in the board's mind, were too titillating for the other 4th graders. Thank God for my mother. I found a world I never knew existed, full of fantasy and beauty. The strife and conniving natures of both gods and mortals captivated me. The stories of the Greek and Roman myths were my favorites, and cultivated in me a love for both cultures. And as for the titillating parts, well, I promise you that General Hospital is far worse for 4th graders than Bulfinch's will ever be.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good infornation to put in your background
Review: I'm a foreign student studying in the US. I listened to this audiobook while I was preparing for GRE. I learned many new vocabulary from the audiobook.
Later when I took western philosophy class, I understood what my professor was talking about because I had learned about Greek mythology from this audiobook.
I also notice people often use idioms derived from Greek Mythology in their writing or conversation. So it's handy to have such information in your background. Listening to this audiobook is an easy way to obtain such knowledge.



Rating: 4 stars
Summary: can't quite replace it
Review: It is an anthology of mythology I often use simply to look up the major myths, because it's easy to find things in Bulfinch. If I knew of a modern alternative which filled the same role as well, I might rank Bulfinch a 3. It's a fairly good reference for Greek, Roman and Arthurian legends. He pretty much paraphrases e.g. Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphisis. He also provides the basic Egyptian and Viking myths. But anything East of the Levant is given very short shrift, probably because at the time this was written, those myths were not so available in the West.

There's no question he loved these stories, but I can't say I'm left with the feeling that he has been truly struck by the Myth, that the Myth has truly destabilized him the way it has Frazer, Jung or Joseph Campbell.

And no doubt this collection would not have been published at all at that time were he not willing to leave out significant facts that the book might be readable by well-bred ladies. Any castrations are left out or (worse) revised. Cronos was deposed. Theseus slays the Minotaur, but the part about how the Minotaur came to be in the first place is omitted. Attis comes across as a romantic story. You find neither the factual story behind it as laid out by Heroditus nor any intimation about the nature of the fantastical cult which arose around it as described in Frazer.

At the same time, although most major bookstores now have whole sections devoted to mythology, and hundreds of anthologies have come out, I've never quite found anything that takes the place of Bulfinch, and so I keep it on my shelf.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Wonderful Reference
Review: So many people are like me...they read and studied mythology in school, then rapidly forgot much of what they learned. Some knowledge of mythology, however, is necessary if one wants to undertand and appreciate great literature. So many great authors draw upon mythology in their work. One (and only one) example is Milton; so many people who say they don't understand "Paradise Lost" are simply missing allusions to the mythology contained instead.

I'm not a classicist, a theologian or a philosopher. I'm not an expert in ancient Greek or Latin. What I am is a lover of great literature and it pains me when I come upon a mythological reference I don't recognize or remember.

I tried using a classical dictionary, but found this created one problem while failing to solve another. The problem is that it is annoying to interrupt the flow of one's reading to look up an allusion in a dictionary. I'd almost rather skip the reading than do that. And, even after looking up an allusion, at least in a dictionary, we usually still don't understand the poetry and the full meaning of the myth.

"Bulfinch's Mythology" solves this problem. With this book, anyone can learn about the gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman antiquity, of Scandinavian, Celtic and Oriental fable and of the Age of Chivalry, in a readable and entertaining manner.

With "Bulfinch's Mythology," we certainly won't learn as much as a scholar, but we will learn enough to enjoy and appreciate the references to mythology we encounter in literature, painting, sculpture and music.

The stories in "Bulfinch's Mythology" are divided into three sections: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry and The Legends of Charlemagne. The classical myths and legends have been derived from Ovid and Virgil. Although the stories are told in prose, they retain all the poetry of the original. The second section, the myths and sagas of the north, were drawn from Mallet's "Northern Antiquities."

Bulfinch has gone one step further than to simply present myth in an enjoyable and readable manner. He has included many poetic citations to help us better remember the myth in question and to see exactly how myth is incorporated into literature.

I love perusing this book. "Bulfinch's Mythology" has reintroduced me to the stories of Zeus and Hera, Venus and Adonis, Daphne and Apollo, Pygmalion and Galatea and many, many more.

If you want to learn more about myth, but don't want to make a comprehensive study of mythology, "Bulfinch's Mythology" may be the perfect book for you just as it is for me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mythology from paper to polygons.
Review: This book is a most buy . This book was used by Ensemble Studios from Microsoft to create the game Age of Mythology (AOM). What else can I say? if any of you are fan of the Age of Empires series then you'll know what I'm talking about. :)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Introduction to Classic Stories
Review: This book is an excellent mythology reader. The first section is devoted to the stories of gods and heroes. The majority of the stories is from Greco-Roman mythology and includes such classics as Apollo and Daphne, Pygmalion, The Golden Fleece, Midas, The Sibyl, and much more. This part also devotes four chapters to Eastern Mythology (Hindu myths, Zoroastor, etc.), Norse mythology (Thor, etc.) and The Druids of Iona. Part two is made up of the popular Arthurian legends and contains many of the most famous stories such as Tristam and Isoude, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the Death of Arthur. Much of this section is rendered in verse. This part also has the Mambinogeon and other myths of the British race (e.g. Beowulf and Robin Hood). The final section (my personal favorite) includes the legends of Charlemagne, or more specifically those of his paladins. This is where one can find stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane. These stories are not as famous as the Arthurian legends, but are just as exciting. There is a very helpful dictionary of names and terms and a few maps and illustrations. Also, the English is fairly easy to read and shouldn't be difficult for the average person. This book is not complete; many of the stories are obviously abridged. It would be nice if it included annotations or a bibliography for those wanting to read more in depth. However, the introduction includes a very basic history of the stories, which should help the more enterprising reader find the unabridged editions. Still, Bulfinch's Mythology is one of the best and least expensive ways become acquainted with these classic stories. I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Introduction to Classic Stories
Review: This book is an excellent mythology reader. The first section is devoted to the stories of gods and heroes. The majority of the stories is from Greco-Roman mythology and includes such classics as Apollo and Daphne, Pygmalion, The Golden Fleece, Midas, The Sibyl, and much more. This part also devotes four chapters to Eastern Mythology (Hindu myths, Zoroastor, etc.), Norse mythology (Thor, etc.) and The Druids of Iona. Part two is made up of the popular Arthurian legends and contains many of the most famous stories such as Tristam and Isoude, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the Death of Arthur. Much of this section is rendered in verse. This part also has the Mambinogeon and other myths of the British race (e.g. Beowulf and Robin Hood). The final section (my personal favorite) includes the legends of Charlemagne, or more specifically those of his paladins. This is where one can find stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane. These stories are not as famous as the Arthurian legends, but are just as exciting. There is a very helpful dictionary of names and terms and a few maps and illustrations. Also, the English is fairly easy to read and shouldn't be difficult for the average person. This book is not complete; many of the stories are obviously abridged. It would be nice if it included annotations or a bibliography for those wanting to read more in depth. However, the introduction includes a very basic history of the stories, which should help the more enterprising reader find the unabridged editions. Still, Bulfinch's Mythology is one of the best and least expensive ways become acquainted with these classic stories. I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must have for anyone who apires to understand mythology
Review: This is one of the most incredible books that anyone could ever own. Whether it be for a child, middle schooler, or adult, it has the ability to enhance imagination and inspire creative genius. It is a true shame that these stories aren't as well appreciated as they were in times such as the Elizabethan and Victorian ages. These stories have inspired poets, playwrights, novelists, and the non-literati as well. There is no possibility of considering oneself as a true intellectual without first understanding these legendary tales. Don't sell yourself short of owning this book. A must buy!!!


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