Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
Ratings237
Average rating4.2
I want to read a book a watch a tv show with a psychotherapist in a world of Greek myths. I think they need it.
I don't know much about Greek mythology except some names, but it's always fascinating to read the bloody tales. But my memory is poor and I can't remember the details even if I've read some of them many times. Even now after finishing this book, I can't say I remember much except the most famous ones but I listened to this audiobook for the experience. Stephen Fry is an excellent, hilarious and witty narrator and I really enjoyed the way he told the stories in this book.
I really enjoyed this, especially listening to the audiobook expertly narrated by Stephen Fry himself, but at the end of the day it's a relatively straightforward (and a tad too twee for my tastes) telling of a lot of well known myths. There isn't any analysis or unpacking of these stories until the short afterward in which Fry explicitly states that he just wanted to let the stories speak for themselves.
And this is all well and good, they are great stories and if you haven't heard them before you should definitely listen to this! I knew most of them quite well, I think about once every year or so since I was a kid I dive back into Greek myths, but there were a handful of them that I was less familiar with.
I see Fry also has sequels to this book about Heroes, Troy, and an upcoming one about the Odyssey, all of which I am looking forward to listening to at some point!
(listened to audiobook) The audiobook narration, as can be expected from Fry, was great.
The telling of the stories was entertaining and generally enhanced by Fry's commentary. However, much of the book didn't take the form of coherent narratives and occasionally was just a recounting of names, relationships, etymologies, or other facts outside of narrative structure. These parts, for me, detracted from the overall experience.
A trip through the Greek mythical pantheon that provided a good foundation to all the myths that are alluded to in the classics as well as the etymology of the English language. I enjoyed Frys focus on the Greeks celebration of gender fluidity and sexual orientation.
[Audiobook narrated by the man himself]
Trust Fry to keep you engaged as he goes on about something as tangled & bizarre as Greek mythology. Makes you wish you had better retention abilities.
Honestly, I love Stephen Fry's sense of humour and narrative voice so much that I would enjoy almost anything that he churns out. Mythos is no different.
I first listened to this exclusively on audiobook format almost 2 years ago now, when Greek mythology was an area that I kinda knew the barest superficials about, but didn't really have any in-depth idea. This book blew my mind away. It was like a collection of amazing short stories starring these out-of-these-world characters and it was so, so entertaining. It kickstarted an interest in mythology and after I had listened to it the first time, I did a lot more digging and research.
Two years later, having discussed a lot more on Greek mythology, read up a bit more, and listened to more podcasts about them, I'm now more familiar with the stories. I can see that Stephen Fry's rendition of them are almost like a summarised version of the myths and, arguably, slightly sanitised in a way. They're still very entertaining nevertheless, and with his trademark wit and humour as the proverbial cherry on top.
I've also recently read Gaiman's retelling of Norse mythology and find it interesting to compare the two. Gaiman, I could tell, was more interested in the storytelling. Fry, however, is more interested in how these myths have impacted our everyday lives, specifically how they have strongly influenced English as we use it today. Instead of just fun little stories, it felt like Fry strove to show that these myths have played a much larger role in our pop culture than a lot of us realise. He makes connections between these gods and stories and things that we see everyday and know the meaning of so instinctively that we may not have realised they came from Greek myth - for example, the staff and the serpent symbol synonamous with modern-day medicine being a reference to Asclepius and the serpent he saved which had then whispered the arts of healing into his ear.
Definitely a good read if you're at all interested in Greek myth. If you're a beginner, the engaging way Fry tells these stories will keep you entertaining from start to finish. If you're a veteran at Greek myth, the humourous way he retells and interprets these myths may still put a smile to your face.
Entertaining, but disjointed.
3.5. Enjoyable and entertaining, but the through line is hard to follow. I didn't mind the license Stephen Fry took in order to make each story simple and fun, in fact, I think it was helpful, but it mostly felt like a random selection of myths put together under one title.
This is more of a book for snacking than one for reading all at once, and I think trying to take it down all in one go ruined it for me.
This must be ‘read' in audio where you can hear the author read his book. His career as a comedian really shines! And I love that he gives you the modern words that have their root based in the characters or the story he's telling.Did you know Shakespeare drew alot on the Greek myths? Or how the seagull came to be? I didn't!The only drawback is there are so many names and so much genealogy that my eyes glazed many times. Reminded me alot of [b:The Silmarillion 7332 The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610045590l/7332.SX50.jpg 4733799].
This book somewhat held my attention for more than half of it, but I guess I just don't find the Greek myths all that engaging. I'm sure they would have been more engaging a couple of thousand years ago.
There must be a trait, possibly genetic, that endows people with the ability to memorize (and care about) the most absurd trivia: names and relationships and who-said-what-to-whom. It's probably the same trait that makes people know and care about Prophet This and Saint That and Verse Mumble in the judeochristimuslim pantheon. Thank FSM that I didn't inherit that.Mythos was fun, mostly, but sooooo mind-numbing. So many characters and stories and interweavings among them: Fry's most common phrase was “you may recall” or “as you'll no doubt remember” in reference to some name or another, always with helpful hints of when we had last seen them, which for the most part flew way over my head. Yeah, I vaguely remember some god getting angry/horny/confused and turning some other mortal into a pig/swan/heffalump, but by halfway through they all blur together and by the end I just wanted it over with. Fry writes with a joyful flippancy, occasional snark, and that kept me going; but really, the gods and demigods and pretty much almost everyone in the tales are garbage. Petty, vindictive, shallow, immature, immoral, whiny, petulant snots. (I know, I know. I've said this before, most recently in my review of [b:Circe 39800116 Circe Madeline Miller https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523427322l/39800116.SY75.jpg 53043399]. I really should learn not to read any more about Greek gods).I mean, it was enjoyable, and Fry's retelling made me grin often, but at the end of the day I'm no different than before reading. I will not remember any of the stories, nor the difference between a Titan and a God or any of the other confusing offspring. I like to retain something from what I've read, like to grow or change or think, and I just don't see that happening as a result of this book. (Much like the perpetually sophomoric gods themselves, I suppose).
Toen ik als kind de Griekse mythologie ontdekte, kreeg ik er maar geen genoeg van. Ook nu ben ik nog steeds fan van deze bekende verhalen en hou van hun hervertelling.
De versie van Stephen Fry is een absolute voltreffer. Vlot geschreven, met een snuif Brits absurdisme en een genereuze portie humor. Zalig!
Giving 4 stars because it is a very enjoyable book and Stephen Fry reads his own book in a way that only he can. I think I approached the book the wrong way or maybe I'm not the audience for this book. I borrowed it from a library, took it in one go and got tired of it. If I owned the book I could take in small chunks and maybe not get so worn out. Further, I think the target audiences are ones that either want to revel in the drollery of Fry's presentation of the myths, honestly good fun to a point, or maybe just a younger crowd given how he updates the myths.
The narrative strikes a satisfying balance, offering enough depth to engage without becoming overwhelming. A self-aware tone humorously highlights the absurdities of Greek myth, making the gods' juvenile and petulant behaviors more palatable, and the tangled web of incestuous relationships easier to follow. Naturally, with Stephen Fry narrating, the audiobook beautifully captures the author's avuncular charm, adding warmth and wit to the experience.
Audiobook review
To have the ancient Greek myths retold and read to me by Stephen Fry himself is a treat beyond belief. I have always admired Fry's wit and seemingly unending pool of knowledge, and this book really cements that idea further. Fry's humour comes through in unexpected places such as when he takes on different voices to narrate his story, or adds little quips here and there between the gods. Plus, his frequent break with the narration to include encyclopedic-like information about etymology, food, culture, etc. is truly wonderful and adds to the whole experience by showing how the things of old are still very much alive in our modern traditions.
For fans of Greek mythology, I recommend giving this retelling a shot! I'm looking forward to reading (or rather, hearing) Fry's next instalment in this series.
The Greek myths. Retold. By Stephen Fry.
They are all here. All our favorite characters. Zeus. Apollo. Poseidon. Aphrodite. Athena. Ares. Sisyphus. So many more. You know them all. But do you know their stories? And, even if you do, do you know them Stephen Fry's way?
This is a book I lingered over for almost two months, and it was well worth it. I didn't know half of the stories; if I'd heard them before, it seemed like I was hearing them for the first time. The stories feel so real you'd swear they were true. And they are. In a way. In the most important way.
6/10
Some of the stories are fun and interesting to me, while others fall a bit short. It feels unfulfulling to read about a named character for a number of pages only for them to never appear again. The prose and humor is fun and flowing.
All in all I would say this is a thoroughly good book, but not my kind of story.
Very interesting and very enjoyable. Stephen Fry writes it in a very entertaining way, and the way he tells the stories makes it even better.
Nice one. Does feel like it ends somewhat arbitrarily, and suddenly. Will be reading the next 3 (looove Fry's humour - as if I'm in a conversation with him in a kitchen after a party at 10 pm). I didn't even think it possible to write with such lightness and ease - even with an inescapable myriad of names. Gorgeous, job well done, can't wait to read the whole series.
