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skinnybutfast's review against another edition
4.0
General account of norse and greek mythology.
Merged review:
General account of norse and greek mythology.
Merged review:
General account of norse and greek mythology.
bri_b22's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mipsot's review against another edition
5.0
Any student of Mythology probably has this sitting on their bookshelves just like I do. Anything and (nearly) everything about Western (some Near Eastern) mythology is in here somewhere. Excellent reference.
mastersal's review against another edition
5.0
This is less a book but a compendium of tales. I loved it since it had all the tales from all over the world. But the writing is a it dry and the book is huge so be prepared. The edition I had was very dense as well so that made is slower to get through. Still a classic and I love going back and skimming through tales I forgot I about.
noelishi's review against another edition
I won’t rate it because I didn’t finish reading it. It is an interesting book to have, but its accuracy is not enough for what I expected.
Before buying it I thought this would be a complete book that would give me an idea of Greek mythology. I found knights too, for example. That was pleasantly unexpected. I also found that Bulfinch changed and wrote basically what he wanted without minding accuracy. His objective was getting people in the Victorian period closer to mythology. It worked in the past, but now we have so many good books about it that this has become a mere anecdotic book and an interesting little gem in my shelf.
Before buying it I thought this would be a complete book that would give me an idea of Greek mythology. I found knights too, for example. That was pleasantly unexpected. I also found that Bulfinch changed and wrote basically what he wanted without minding accuracy. His objective was getting people in the Victorian period closer to mythology. It worked in the past, but now we have so many good books about it that this has become a mere anecdotic book and an interesting little gem in my shelf.
kalika22's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
gabriellebelisle's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book up as a means of studying more mythology (I am a mythologist who has competed at a national level) and let me tell you, I have never had such a hard time finishing a book as I had with this. I started this book two years ago and I was only able to read roughly 150 pages of it. It is made up of a series of short (often flawed or religiously biased) stories and is incredibly dry. Bulfinch has mastered the art of horrible storytelling and appalling use of language. I don't really like reading anything that sounds like a medieval Yoda with a pen wrote it. I kid you not, he uses sentences like: "'Verily,' spake he." I am aware that this was written a very long time ago, but looking at other authors such as Oscar Wilde or even Hawthorne that are of a similar age or older, there is no reason to write that way. There is no plot to top it off. The individual stories can be interesting, but it is impossible to stay focused on it. I do not recommend this to anyone. If you are looking for myths, you can find plenty of more interesting and accurate versions elsewhere.
katherineinabundance's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting to compare and contrast all of the different stories and cultures (tough it was compiled by a white guy so read with a critical lens)
carriedoodledoo's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lot!! Your Victorian one-stop-shop for all things myth and legend. Bulfinch created this as a sort of self-education so you could better understand the frequent references made in literature to these myths. I especially appreciated the passages of poetry, etc he placed at the ends of the stories they were relevant to. Plus, if you're in a hurry, there's a glossary at the back so you can quick look up, say, Branwen, or Orlando.
I also like that this is not just the classic Greek myths...this is an overview of Charlemagne, Norse, Welsh and Arthurian legend as well, with a smattering of the Far East Hindu and Buddhist stories as well. Basically, anything that would have come up in Victorian and earlier literary endeavors. It is three volumes in one!
Now obviously, mythology has undergone a bit of a reemergence as the new hot subject for popular fiction and scholarly works alike, and new translations and versions of the myths are increasingly at odds with the traditional understanding. So heckin' what. This is a great book. Reading this will give you more of an understanding to jump from than a spicy novel, no matter where you take it later.
I also like that this is not just the classic Greek myths...this is an overview of Charlemagne, Norse, Welsh and Arthurian legend as well, with a smattering of the Far East Hindu and Buddhist stories as well. Basically, anything that would have come up in Victorian and earlier literary endeavors. It is three volumes in one!
Now obviously, mythology has undergone a bit of a reemergence as the new hot subject for popular fiction and scholarly works alike, and new translations and versions of the myths are increasingly at odds with the traditional understanding. So heckin' what. This is a great book. Reading this will give you more of an understanding to jump from than a spicy novel, no matter where you take it later.