mandler_'s review against another edition
3.0
A nice overview of the cultures and peoples that created the myths of the land. I enjoyed the cultural perspective and the brief description of the mythic tales themselves. Kenneth C. Davis does a great job writing about these tales and the cultures and times during which they were told.
mommyhale's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to this in the car with my daughters. Tabatha has been interested in Greek Mythology while reading Percy Jackson, and I wanted her to get a world view idea of what myths and stories have been told throughout the world. This book was a good beginner. My girls were interested in the Hercules story, most of Greek mythology, and Norse mythology (mainly because most were about the goddess Freya), but they had a hard time with the unfamiliar names. I am glad we listened, but I wish we had read the actual book with visuals. I am sure that would have helped them follow along.
rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
3.0
This book provides a brief overview of regional history and summaries of the role that religion/belief played in various times, places and cultures. It begins with the Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and then includes Goths, Celts, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and brief forays into myths of African, Islander, and North and South American native tribes globally. To be fair, it's easier to go into more depth into the mythologies that have been recorded.
Davis is quick to highlight similarities between myths that precede Judaism and Christianity. He is also quick to castigate European explorers and missionaries for their interactions with native peoples globally (admittedly, there is lots of room for criticism, especially in light of modern attitudes and standards). He seems to treat the native beliefs of Africa, Islands, and natives more respectfully than those of Christians or Jews. Interesting, and mildly patronizing.
Also, while he might speak slightingly of the possible/probable alterations that Christian monks and priests might have made to pagan myths and legends - if it weren't for their efforts, we might have no record at all of the beliefs of pre-literate societies.
It was interesting and a good introduction and well-sourced for the person that might be interested in doing more reading.
Davis is quick to highlight similarities between myths that precede Judaism and Christianity. He is also quick to castigate European explorers and missionaries for their interactions with native peoples globally (admittedly, there is lots of room for criticism, especially in light of modern attitudes and standards). He seems to treat the native beliefs of Africa, Islands, and natives more respectfully than those of Christians or Jews. Interesting, and mildly patronizing.
Also, while he might speak slightingly of the possible/probable alterations that Christian monks and priests might have made to pagan myths and legends - if it weren't for their efforts, we might have no record at all of the beliefs of pre-literate societies.
It was interesting and a good introduction and well-sourced for the person that might be interested in doing more reading.
djotaku's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a great primer on mythology. Although it spends a lot of time with the myths we are very familiar with (middle east, Greek, and Roman), it does also cover lesser known myths like Indian and Chinese. The best part of each section is the list of gods. I would recommend the book as a jumping off point for anything that interests you about mythology.
hsteel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
squishkilldieew's review against another edition
5.0
This book answers a lot of questions. It is so packed with information that I actually learned something new about the mythologies I'm familiar with, which is really saying something.
luvbug7554's review against another edition
3.0
The audiobook narration was too fast, like speed reading. My kids wanted just a bit more detail, as they were left with questions ru almost every myth.
stephb413's review against another edition
3.0
A very readable thorough look about the significance of regions, but also provides lots of historical insight. Despite being a history teacher for a number of years, I learned loads of new content.