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mesocricetus's review
5.0
I have listened to several series of lectures on various topics. This speaker is truly excellent. She really knows the material well and has a wonderful 'nerdy' enthusiasm in her delivery. A very good introduction to the subject of (primarily Greek) myths.
nytephoenyx's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This is probably a bit biased, as I went into this lecture series already knowing I would love the content... but I absolutely loved Classical Mythology and it's one of my favorite Great Courses so far. Greek Mythology is my favorite - there's something about it that is familiar and fascinating to me. Classical Mythology focuses on Greek and Roman myths ("classical" meaning the classical era, not "oh, that's a classic!"). I know a decent amount of Greek mythology, but Vandiver still managed to teach a lot of new things and hold my attention through the entire lecture series. I appreciated her observations and discussions, and enjoyed this course as a whole. If you're interested in Greek mythology in particular (Roman mythology is limited, but there's a good reason for that), I highly recommend this!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Incest, Infidelity, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and War
paladinboy's review
3.0
A good set of classes. I've not taken a formal class, but spent a lot of time in the mythology section of the library. My knowledge of the myths and interpretations agreed with the the professor in most cases and the analysis brought a few insights, but nothing earth shattering. I would recommend it to anyone who felt they did not not know Greek/Roman myth and needed to brush up.
frasersimons's review
4.0
Amazing lecture series. Very concise chapters, extremely clear and gives context whenever something out of the cultural consciousness is brought up. The only thing I worry about is it the lecture series is also clearly significantly outdated. She drops some cultural touchstones like Disney’s Hercules and the Titanic movie, for instance. So, I wonder if (and sure there are) advancements or “updates” in critical thought on the subject.
mato_szabo's review
5.0
Really great overview that went sometimes deeper than I expected. Also a superb lecturer. Really nice! 5/5
thomasroche's review
4.0
I love this 24-lecture series about Greek and Roman mythology. What is most helpful to me is the overview of what the actual sources are, whereas I mostly know the stories as stories -- with this idea that develops that myth is timeless, and doesn't come from an original source. On the contrary, this lecture series helped me look at the myths from the perspective of text and context, rather than from the perspective of the stories themselves as they've survived rewritten down through the centuries.
For me, most of my moment-to-moment enjoyment of lectures comes from the lecturer's speaking style; oddly, the more idiosyncratic the speaker's voice is, the more I like them. Philip Dailleader? W00t! Total weird cadence to that dude's speaking, keeps me rivited.
Vandiver, on the other hand, is only moderately idiosyncratic, but she's also also extremely clear and easy to follow, and her organization is top-notch. So it all balances out and she's unquestionably one of my favorite lecturers.
A fantastically illuminating and enjoyable basic overview of classical myths.
For me, most of my moment-to-moment enjoyment of lectures comes from the lecturer's speaking style; oddly, the more idiosyncratic the speaker's voice is, the more I like them. Philip Dailleader? W00t! Total weird cadence to that dude's speaking, keeps me rivited.
Vandiver, on the other hand, is only moderately idiosyncratic, but she's also also extremely clear and easy to follow, and her organization is top-notch. So it all balances out and she's unquestionably one of my favorite lecturers.
A fantastically illuminating and enjoyable basic overview of classical myths.
hayley_loves_books's review
5.0
This was outstanding! For anyone wishing to grasp a comprehensive understanding of Classical Mythology, this is a must. This was one of “The Great Courses” audiobook which is presented in twenty four, thirty minute lectures presented by Professor Elizabeth Vandiver. I had listened to Heroes by Stephen Fry previously which sparked my interest in mythology but I didn’t comprehend it. This explained it all and had a PDF with it covering everything in the course. I printed out the some 150 odd pages and read each chapter after each lecture highlighting bits of importance. Effectively I guess this means I’ve read it twice. Once listening and once in written form.
This audiobook has whet my appetite for more and I’m looking forward to reading other mythology and more Greek mythology.
This audiobook has whet my appetite for more and I’m looking forward to reading other mythology and more Greek mythology.