World Mythology

Rating:
Summary: Flawed Myth
Review: First off, for a paperback this book is extremely overpriced. Why did I get it? I was required to purchase it for a college mythology course. I was hoping it would be a great source of world myth, but I was quickly disappointed. Rosenberg waters down and CENSORS the mythology.
For example: In the story of Osiris and Isis, Rosenberg's version said that all of Osiris' parts were recovered. This is not true to the myth as any casual mythology student can tell you. A fish ate one part that was never recovered. Another omission was from Gilgamesh when Enkidu is tamed. Rosenberg leaves out the fact that the "priestess"was actually a temple harlot and she tamed him through six days of sex. These are only the first two stories I have read and I am sure there will be more the further I get into it. It is almost as if Rosenberg is afraid to tackle the adult issues presented in a lot of mythology.
Now normally I would not have a problem with leaving a little out here or there. But when students are required to fully analyze the meaning of a myth or epic we need the whole story. For the price and lack of cartoony illustrations this book is obviously not aimed at children. Give us the unedited, un-PC, correct, original versions of the myths.I don't want to assume things that should be in the stories to begin with.

Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Textbook for High School Mythology
Review: Put Bullfinch aside and hide Hamilton...Donna Rosenberg's "World Mythology" tells it all in captivating storytelling to bring myths from all over the world alive. This is the ideal textbook for a survey of mythology course in high school and college. Creation myths of a broad range of cultures convey the remarkable links to mankind's beginnings, while great epics reveal the heroes and dreams of diverse worlds.

Rosenberg's writing style makes all the stories accessible and entertaining. Who says textbooks have to be boring? Add this to your literature shelves and bring mythology to life for your students.

Rating:
Summary: Fine Collection, But Incomplete
Review: The title is something of a misnomer. This is a fine collection of ancient myths found throughout world history. However, it is intellectually dishonest because the author fails to recognize some of the most powerful myths in human history --namely those found in the Bible and Koran. Sure the book would have been huge, but at leasty a treatise or an explaination for exclusioon would have been appropriate. Furthermore, exclusion of modern myth is suggestively written off as just being repetitive or not existent in our far more sophisticated and complex world. I'll admit that modern myth is scarce, but it exists and is just as important.

Myth is an important mirror for humans to see their own reflection and learn about their journey through metaphor. This book does a fine job covering ancient myth from various cultures; however, exclusion of the most influential myths and a nod to some modern classics was a serious oversight.