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Mythology by Edith Hamilton
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Mythology (original 1942; edition 1998)

by Edith Hamilton

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
14,74193374 (3.93)128
For over fifty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago-and still spellbinding to this day. Monsters, mortals, gods, and warriors.… (more)
Member:athloi
Title:Mythology
Authors:Edith Hamilton
Info:Back Bay Books (1998), Paperback, 512 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

Mythology by Edith Hamilton (1942)

  1. 60
    Greek Gods and Heroes by Robert Graves (kxlly)
  2. 40
    The Greek Myths: Complete Edition by Robert Graves (Anonymous user)
  3. 20
    The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood (sibyllacumaea)
  4. 10
    Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C. S. Lewis (sibyllacumaea)
  5. 21
    The Golden Bough by James George Frazer (infiniteletters)
  6. 10
    The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland (RickyHaas)
    RickyHaas: Both books center on mythology (obviously). The Norse Myths is more focused on a specific mythology. Whereas Mythology is a broader scope with a heavier focus on Greek/Roman Mythology.
  7. 10
    D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire (Anonymous user)
  8. 00
    Fires by Marguerite Yourcenar (sibyllacumaea)
  9. 00
    Classical Mythology by Elizabeth Vandiver (themulhern, themulhern)
    themulhern: One is a scholarly examination of classical mythology the other is, primarily, a scholarly retelling of classical mythology. Obvious compliments.
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» See also 128 mentions

English (84)  Spanish (1)  French (1)  All languages (86)
Showing 1-5 of 84 (next | show all)
Excellent source for reference! Also, this 75th Anniversary Edition is a beautifully crafted book from the dust cover, to the art to the fonts - it has been a joy to read! ( )
  s_carr | Feb 25, 2024 |
Before Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, there was Edith Hamilton's version of the myths. This book was meant to be an introduction to the myths - of Roman, Greek, and Norse. This book was part of my high school English class. Required reading to be discussed and tested and I was happy to have this book.

This book was my first introduction to myths. I had not read anything about them in the past as I held no interest in them. They held no interest and certainly were not needed in the three years of high school. This book was placed in my hands during one-afternoon class and told that this would be the subject for the next six weeks.

You know from previous entries that I do not play well when I am told that I have to read a book and that has always held true even in high school. In high school, I fell in love with not only history but with the mythology of all cultures and religions. This book was meant to be an introduction to these worlds, a reference, and short stories packaged nicely into a book.

This is the book that introduced me to one of my favorite myths - Hades and Persephone.

This book has since opened doors to other more detailed books on myths and their stories. Because of this book, I am thankful for it. I am thankful that I did not write this book off as something forced but something to enjoy. I will keep coming back to this book each time I want just a little nostalgia. ( )
  Revengelyne | Apr 29, 2023 |
Scholarly in a way that most retellings of the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths are not. A discussion of the originals of many of the stories, with commentary. Quotations from translations of the poets. A discussion of the purpose and meaning of the myths and what place they have in our cultural heritage.

The illustrations by Steele Savage seem rather arbitrarily chosen. I found the color illustrations by Jim Tierney in the 25th anniversary edition unappealing, but the decorations were fine and the book itself is pleasantly bulky. Both editions have quite a few family trees. ( )
  themulhern | Nov 12, 2022 |
I remember reading parts of this in high school and liking it then, but rereading this book in it's entirety those are just found memories. For the most part, I didn't really enjoy this book. This is more for beginners or high schoolers, which could also make people love this book.

I just kept finding more flaws than reasons to like this book. First off, the Norse part of this book was pointless. I'm not sure why she had it in here either. I feel like if your going to talk about other culture's myths at least add other cultures. I feel like she intentionally snubbed other myths.

I hated her commentary. Every time she talked about where she got the myths I want to tell her to shut up and just tell the tale. She made Ovid look like a fool sometimes. She also picked which version of a myth she like better making the other versions she though were less important.

The chapters where she retold the Odyssey and the Iliad I thought were pointless too. Having read those to book earlier this year I felt it was repetitive. She managed to take Homer's stories and make them sound less interesting. I did like her chapters on the heroes though, maybe because they don't really have books just for there story.

There are better mythology books out there, this isn't one of them. It's a super popular book though. I can see why. Like I said this is for beginners. This was better than Bullfinch which I had issues with that book too. This should get credit too just for the fact a woman wrote it, which was rare at her time.

I'll most likely look at this book from time to time. It's a good reference book. This isn't really good to read the whole thing over and over. I thought it was short stories, but it's more encyclopedia entries. ( )
  Ghost_Boy | Aug 25, 2022 |
A refresher in the Greek and Roman gods, in preparation for reading some classic literature later in the year. ( )
  mattorsara | Aug 11, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 84 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (3 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Edith Hamiltonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Beughem, Abeth deTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Conejero Ciriza, ValentínTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Foltzer, ChristineCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hajilton, Ruthsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kaalep, Ainsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Liebl, ElisabethTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Martinez, JohnCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McClain, RachelCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pinheiro, Maria LuisaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Savage, SteeleIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tierney, JimArtistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tiidus, HardiTÕlkija.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Toren, SuzanneNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wormell, ChrisIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Of old the Hellenic race was marked off from the barbarian as more keen-witted and more free from nonsense
— Herodotus I
Dedication
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Greek and Roman mythology is quite generally supposed to show us how the human race thought and felt untold ages ago.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (6)

For over fifty years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago-and still spellbinding to this day. Monsters, mortals, gods, and warriors.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
A keystone of our culture is the body of myth and legend of the ancient Western world - stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present day.  In Mythology Edith Hamilton brings this legacy to life anew, with impeccably accurate and accessible retellings of eternally spellbinding tales.
We come to know the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla. We trace the dynasties of the Agamemnon and Oedipus dynasties, and get caught up in the fascination of such legends as Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, and Medusa. 
We discover the origin of the names of the constellations in the skies and reference points for countless works of art, literature, and philosophy.
Edith Hamilton's highly acclaimed work has itself become a classic, an indispensable source of vast knowledge, insight and enjoyment.

Norse - p301 - 315, Several genealogies for the Gods
It may well be a good coverage of Greek, but w only 15 pages, it's not going to be more than a fast introduction to  Norse.

Contents: Introduction to classical mythology -- Gods, the creation, and the earliest heroes -- Stories of love and adventure -- Great heroes before the Trojan War -- Heroes of the Trojan War -- Great families of mythology -- Less important myths -- Mythology of the Norsemen -- Genealogical tables.
Haiku summary
Of Greek, Roman myths
Goddesses and gods, heroes
Plus a bit of Norse
(pickupsticks)

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Hachette Book Group

4 editions of this book were published by Hachette Book Group.

Editions: 0316341517, 0446607258, 0316341142, 0446574759

 

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