Michael Macrone

Oddly enough, this book appears to have been originally titled "By Jove!", which would have been far more fitting. Though you will learn (or relearn) a number of famous tales, the purpose of this book is not to function as a primer, but rather to describe the Greek/Roman mythological roots of common English words and phrases. And in that capacity it does an excellent job, covering terms from the obvious (dionysian) to the obscure (syringe), with a healthy peppering of amusing commentary show more interspersed. If you're a fan of language or mythology, this is a fun read. show less

A fun book, reminding one of favorite (and barely remembered) lines in Shakespeare. It is a bit disappointing to find out which ones weren't actually original to him, but there are enough of his to be quite uplifting. Some of the quotes the author uses are not actually part of everyday language in any world I live in, so their choice was perhaps odd, but it was sort of fun reading about those lines, too. He also discusses lines that are commonly misquoted, but why he didn't include the line show more "Lay on, McDuff" as being quoted...or rather, misquoted...a lot is Greek to me. show less

A great guide to many of everyday phrases that originate from Shakespeare (and those that didn't, there is a section of those too). The author quotes the phrase in context, describes its original meaning and current meaning (if they differ). A great book, that only sometimes becomes a tad tedious. Though I know most phrases, like "Once more unto the breach," there are many I've never heard uttered in speech, like: "Let Rome in Tiber melt" or "On the windy side." Overall though, excellent and show more entertaining. Recommended if you can find it cheaply. show less

I don't remember reading this before today. I certainly understood more of it than I would have twenty years ago if that's when I read it. The author speaks clearly, but with a bit of tongue in cheek, the kind of literary criticism I need to understand something as foreign to me as poetry.