margaret_hovestadt's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting introduction to mythologies, but weak. Many of the scientific claims made in the book are simply not true (see pole shift for details). The author also left in many spelling mistakes. If you are reading this as an ebook, the arrangement of pages is odd, with stories sometimes dissecting other stories.
Overall, if you want a beginning look at mythology, or an index of mythological creatures and historical superstitions, this is a good book. Otherwise, I would suggest looking for more complete anthologies for more in depth reading.
Overall, if you want a beginning look at mythology, or an index of mythological creatures and historical superstitions, this is a good book. Otherwise, I would suggest looking for more complete anthologies for more in depth reading.
vickyg's review against another edition
4.0
I won't give it five stars simply because I didn't read every single page - this was a 'dip in and out' kind of book. I love the design of the cover and illustrations;the appearance of an obscure Victorian hardback worked really well with the creepy subject matter. Information was easy to find and understand whilst also sprinkled with a tad of humour here and there. I'm not a massive non-fiction or encyclopedia fan, but I really enjoyed flicking through this, it covered the subject of myth and legend very entertainingly and thoroughly.
sunnyisreading's review against another edition
5.0
There's no other book like this! And if you happen to find one sort of like it, trust me. This one is better. The master index of all things mystical, mythical, creepily religious, and blood sucking. One of my all time favorite books!
2kimi2furious's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to like this, but it was a mess. The classification is all over the place and it's not very organized. I guess it's fine for what it's supposed to be, but I much prefer the Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were.
purplehulk713's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
Incredible illustrations and mystifying creatures, this book definitely fascinated me… but only to a certain extent. It had so many quotes from ancient compilers of bestiaries like Pliny the Elder and Isidore of Seville, so many unnecessary repetitions in the descriptions of these creatures, and tedious elaborations on concepts mostly irrelevant to the topic at hand that it felt like reading a textbook at times. That made it quite frustrating. It also has the smallest print which makes it take even longer to read. It could have been written much more concisely and much more pointedly. However, it still gave fascinating insight into obscure understandings like the many, many, many, many, many superstitions held by sailors; Mayan culture including their supposed “end of the world calendar”, and the unique folklore of certain plants and animals (the smoke of the frankincense spice was believed to carry prayers up to heaven; a pelican was believed to kill its children, mourn for three days, and then use her own blood to resurrect them). I’ll definitely go back to this book, but probably only for reference rather than for a full reread for pleasure. “The rowan (or mountain ash) is a tree native to the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In European folklore, it has long been associated with the Otherworld, witches, and magic. In fact, it is also known as the Witches’ Tree.”
qu073179's review against another edition
2.0
I was reading, then eventually reverted to scanning. There was a lot of unnecessary, yet non-explanatory parts. There were only a couple handful of mildly interesting creatures to me. Otherwise, the creatures were not pumped as myth, nor were we told of their allure, except on some entries.
More positively, the book is very, very, unique with pictures, and you'll definitely find something new.
More positively, the book is very, very, unique with pictures, and you'll definitely find something new.