serenesedai's review against another edition
5.0
Such great fun! This helped a lot when it came to my english classes whenever mythological creatures crept into the conversation. A great addition to any library.
dmiles's review against another edition
3.0
Without this book, it would have taken me several more years to find out how much of a whore Zeus was. Also: Good illustrations.
raubtierchen's review against another edition
3.0
It's been my introduction to fantasy and horror when I was a teenager, scared the hell out of me sometimes.
Countless hours of browsing through the entries of this book, it's a great inspiration for RPG as well.
The pictures are beautiful but feel a bit dated nowadays.
There are some pictures in this book that still give me the creeps, like the troll picture, and some that I love to this day, like the picture of the mermaid.
Good place to start if you're interested in folklore and mythology.
Countless hours of browsing through the entries of this book, it's a great inspiration for RPG as well.
The pictures are beautiful but feel a bit dated nowadays.
There are some pictures in this book that still give me the creeps, like the troll picture, and some that I love to this day, like the picture of the mermaid.
Good place to start if you're interested in folklore and mythology.
toad_maiden's review against another edition
1.0
This was so disappointing. For a beloved book with over 4 stars here on GR, I found this so lackluster! The illustrations were corny. The information was incomplete at best, and dead wrong at worst (I spotted numerous errors in word etymology, etc.). The mythologies addressed here were mostly Eurocentric and ignorant when addressing the mythologies of non-European peoples. Also, talk about upholding harmful gender stereotypes! I have seen this book recommended in countless witchy books, and yet it is full of witch=female=evil and wizard=male=good assumptions. Really, guys, there are so many better encyclopedias on these topics, not to mention the wonderful world of the internet. This one is not even worth checking out from the library.
barefootsong's review against another edition
5.0
An encyclopedia including people, places, and things that never existed outside of mythology and fantasy. Besides having all kinds of intriguing and fascinating entries (Valkyries? Check. Wonderland? Yep. The River from The Wind in the Willows? Yes. And so many more it makes your head spin with geeky glee!), it is also fabulously illustrated. It's so easy to get lost in the pages!
shminsington's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book when I was in sixth grade and it has been one of my best loved since then. This book taught me so much and is an excellent jumping off point for writers' reference. Love love love this thing.
kellswitch's review
4.0
I've had this book since high school and it's one of my favorites. It's not very comprehensive or detailed in many ways, but the combination of the text and images just fuels the imagination and makes you want to learn more.
This was one of the first books that really opened my eyes to the myths and depth of stories in other cultures.
This was one of the first books that really opened my eyes to the myths and depth of stories in other cultures.
spacenoirdetective's review
5.0
I can't quite describe my love for this book. It's wonderfully researched, lovingly illustrated, and I've referenced it many a time for that obscure branch of folklore that I can't quite find the term for. Plus, there's a lot here concerning imaginary lands I'd never heard of, but would love to visit.
More...