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Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea
From Homer's Odyssey to Pirates of the Caribbean , Mermaids have fascinated popular culture for centuries. Among the Mermaids is an enchanting collection of classic stories, facts, and tales of mermaids from around the world that will thrill every lover of this romanticized mythological creature. Compiled by Book of the Bizarre author and Magical Creature devotee Varla Ventura, Among the Mermaids includes turn of the century tales of merfolk from Bret Harte, T. Crofton Croker, and W.B. Yeats, along with tantalizing trivia, facts, firsthand accounts, and speculations about mermaids in popular culture. Some facts about the fluid and the fair from the book:
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2013
31 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
About the author
Varla Ventura
79 books51 followersAuthor of THE BOOK OF THE BIZARRE and BEYOND BIZARRE (Weiser Books). Curator of the MAGICAL CREATURES and PARANORMAL PARLOR e-book collections.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 8, 2014
Very rarely whenI go to my local mythology section in the bookstore do I ever encounter anything to do with mermaids and selchies and the like. It also carries into my favourite genera, paranormal romance, where still very few novels are written about these elusive creatures. So you can understand I was quite excited when I saw this thinking it would be a lovely edition to my collection of mythology books.
However, after opening the book and reading the first few pages that is where the excitement stopped. So what were my issues:
To begin with the way this book is written is more a collection of random thoughts in some cases mariginally related to mermaids plus stories from other works relating to mermaids. In some parts of the book we would get a brief description of what the story was going to be about, then the story and then with no real bridge into the next part a few intersting facts that rarely if ever had anything to do with the story we just read.
Now it is worth pointing out that while some of the stories were nice additions to the book and I had not previously read them some of the old language that the stories were originally formatted in made them rather difficult to read and in some cases understand. There was no reason that I could tell as to why the author couldn't have adjusted these for a modern reader.
Now for my next major issue, as lovely as it was to have illustrations right through the book, and it did give the book a fairy tale charm, very few of the images actually ever related to the text. Therefore why are they there???
In one particular section Ventura goes through a list of the top 10 mermaid statues and proceeds to describe why she was delighted with them, however, there are no images to accompany these supposed works of art even if it was only of a select few. That would have been an appropriate time to add pictures!!
As the book progressed it apperead as though a little more thought was added to the arrangement of sections, including the section relating to real life mermaids and mermaid encounters, however, I hardly think it was appropriate to include the websites of businesses that sold both mermaid tails and other merchandise, this should have been left to the appendices.
Finally, what on earth was going on in the 9th Chapter regading the Aquarium, it is lovely that the author was able to find this unique description of an aqaurium built years ago, however, was it really neccessary to include the full article?? Especially when it really didn't have much or anything to do with mermaids at all.. In fact I think the original writer was more enamoured with the sea anemones than anything else. It also followed one of the better stories in the book about the Merrows, however, the article writer rehashed exactly what we just read les than 20 pages ago in enough detail that it was infuriatingly repetitive.
All in all while I did enjoy portions of the book and was interested in some of the facts I thought that this was a very poorly executed account of mermaid history. There was so much room for expansion of ideas, refinement of sections, what sounds like many further stories which could have been added to the collection. I mean at one point Ventura even mentions the more recent excietment regarding mermaid sightings and exisistence and then the documentary(mockumentry) proving they dont exsist, I mean that would have made a really interesting addition to the book if it had been further discussed.
As to the editor who let this book through to publication in the current state, it was a promising idea but it needed a hell of a lot more refinement before it should have been printed.
I'm sure some people will find this book charming, but I was not impressed.
However, after opening the book and reading the first few pages that is where the excitement stopped. So what were my issues:
To begin with the way this book is written is more a collection of random thoughts in some cases mariginally related to mermaids plus stories from other works relating to mermaids. In some parts of the book we would get a brief description of what the story was going to be about, then the story and then with no real bridge into the next part a few intersting facts that rarely if ever had anything to do with the story we just read.
Now it is worth pointing out that while some of the stories were nice additions to the book and I had not previously read them some of the old language that the stories were originally formatted in made them rather difficult to read and in some cases understand. There was no reason that I could tell as to why the author couldn't have adjusted these for a modern reader.
Now for my next major issue, as lovely as it was to have illustrations right through the book, and it did give the book a fairy tale charm, very few of the images actually ever related to the text. Therefore why are they there???
In one particular section Ventura goes through a list of the top 10 mermaid statues and proceeds to describe why she was delighted with them, however, there are no images to accompany these supposed works of art even if it was only of a select few. That would have been an appropriate time to add pictures!!
As the book progressed it apperead as though a little more thought was added to the arrangement of sections, including the section relating to real life mermaids and mermaid encounters, however, I hardly think it was appropriate to include the websites of businesses that sold both mermaid tails and other merchandise, this should have been left to the appendices.
Finally, what on earth was going on in the 9th Chapter regading the Aquarium, it is lovely that the author was able to find this unique description of an aqaurium built years ago, however, was it really neccessary to include the full article?? Especially when it really didn't have much or anything to do with mermaids at all.. In fact I think the original writer was more enamoured with the sea anemones than anything else. It also followed one of the better stories in the book about the Merrows, however, the article writer rehashed exactly what we just read les than 20 pages ago in enough detail that it was infuriatingly repetitive.
All in all while I did enjoy portions of the book and was interested in some of the facts I thought that this was a very poorly executed account of mermaid history. There was so much room for expansion of ideas, refinement of sections, what sounds like many further stories which could have been added to the collection. I mean at one point Ventura even mentions the more recent excietment regarding mermaid sightings and exisistence and then the documentary(mockumentry) proving they dont exsist, I mean that would have made a really interesting addition to the book if it had been further discussed.
As to the editor who let this book through to publication in the current state, it was a promising idea but it needed a hell of a lot more refinement before it should have been printed.
I'm sure some people will find this book charming, but I was not impressed.
September 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this thoughtful collection about "the merrow" as some call them. Living in the Tampa Bay Area, I am familiar with some of the "real life" mermaids as well as "mertailor" mentioned in the book. Ventura's selection of historical and mythological stories coupled with more contemporary data and information made for a fun and compelling read. I was particularly fond of "The Soul Cages" which I had not read before. The illustrations were exquisite as well. I look forward to reading more by this author.
September 6, 2019
I picked this up for research purposes. I was surprised by how beautiful the book is physically - the cover is stunning, the entire text is in a delightful shade of teal blue, and the illustrations on every page are simply magical. This book contains a lot of information on the mythology of mermaids, containing stories from all around the world. Besides being informative, it is a very fun read.
September 24, 2019
A bit disjointed, but delightful. Beach reading at it's best.
March 26, 2020
Quite a different take on non-fiction mermaid literature, and I appreciate it!
June 18, 2021
I was not as impressed with this book as I had been with the previous book I had read. The last quarter of the book had little to do with mermaids.
August 31, 2024
An unforgettable book that will leave you with a love of mermaids, and sea creatures if you didn't already admire them to begin with. The tales and legends are some you won't soon forget... especially the Lobster Pots aka Soul Cages. I can't recommend this book enough as I couldn't put it down.
February 23, 2025
A quaint, charming little collection. Just what I needed right now.
January 9, 2014
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 1/9/14.
When we interviewed Varla Ventura for the website, it was primarily in regards to her role as the curator for a line of ebooks for Red Wheel/Weiser Publishing. After reading her two latest books, “Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea” and “Banshees, Werewolves, Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night: Facts, Fictions, and First-Hand Accounts”, I can safely say is curating is what Ventura does best.
In a paranormal landscape where it may feel like you’ve read every bit of trivia and tale about vampires and werewolves, Ventura manages to find fresh new takes on the subject matter. And let’s face it, how often does anyone talk about banshees? She even discusses a few other rarely touched upon creatures like Pookas and Changelings. The back of “Banshees, Werewolves, Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night” has a huge list of resources such as books, movies, and websites where you can learn more.
For as cool as that was, “Among the Mermaids” is, for me, a million times cooler. I have always been fascinated by mermaids and sirens. Other than a passage here or there in a paranormal or creature encyclopedia I had never found much reading about them. Then Varla Ventura comes along with “Among the Mermaids”, a whole book devoted to merrows, mermaids, and sirens. Again, Ventura finds legends and factoids that you’ll never find anywhere else! At the end, you not only find resources such as movies and books, but also shopping. Looking for mermaid art or jewelry? There are links for that! Looking for your very own, custom made mermaid tale? There are links for those too!
As I said at the start, curating is what Varla Ventura does best and the wonderful work she did with these two books proves it. Both books are filled with unique myths and facts that make these must haves for lovers of legend.
When we interviewed Varla Ventura for the website, it was primarily in regards to her role as the curator for a line of ebooks for Red Wheel/Weiser Publishing. After reading her two latest books, “Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea” and “Banshees, Werewolves, Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night: Facts, Fictions, and First-Hand Accounts”, I can safely say is curating is what Ventura does best.
In a paranormal landscape where it may feel like you’ve read every bit of trivia and tale about vampires and werewolves, Ventura manages to find fresh new takes on the subject matter. And let’s face it, how often does anyone talk about banshees? She even discusses a few other rarely touched upon creatures like Pookas and Changelings. The back of “Banshees, Werewolves, Vampires and Other Creatures of the Night” has a huge list of resources such as books, movies, and websites where you can learn more.
For as cool as that was, “Among the Mermaids” is, for me, a million times cooler. I have always been fascinated by mermaids and sirens. Other than a passage here or there in a paranormal or creature encyclopedia I had never found much reading about them. Then Varla Ventura comes along with “Among the Mermaids”, a whole book devoted to merrows, mermaids, and sirens. Again, Ventura finds legends and factoids that you’ll never find anywhere else! At the end, you not only find resources such as movies and books, but also shopping. Looking for mermaid art or jewelry? There are links for that! Looking for your very own, custom made mermaid tale? There are links for those too!
As I said at the start, curating is what Varla Ventura does best and the wonderful work she did with these two books proves it. Both books are filled with unique myths and facts that make these must haves for lovers of legend.
April 1, 2017
The book itself (paperback) is very attractive. It's much smaller than I expected, however, the size lends itself to comfortable reading. The cover is of nice quality with attractive artwork. Both the the front and back covers fold inward, just like a dust jacket would, if it had one. Inside, the pages are made from thick stock and printed in a sort of blue-grey ink. There are illustrations of mermaids and other sea life in the same color ink.
Inside are several short stories about mermaids, selkies, merrow, etc. that are compiled from many different sources and eras. Some are familiar, some are not. There are also side notes on nautical terms, piracy, and other facts having to do with the sea and/or mermaids. I enjoyed most of the stories very much, aside from one which was a somewhat lengthy description of a 19th century aquarium, which became a bit dull after several pages.
At the end of the book, there is information about other mermaid things, such as a movie list, a book list, and a list of stores where one can purchase mermaid jewelry and apparel.
I've already watched one of the recommended movies (one of the few I haven't already seen, anyway) and enjoyed it very much. I found that the movie, "Miranda" and its sequel "Mad about Men," are loosely based on one of this book's stories ("The Mermaid of Zennor").
This is a great read for any mermaid enthusiast or for anyone in love with the sea.
Inside are several short stories about mermaids, selkies, merrow, etc. that are compiled from many different sources and eras. Some are familiar, some are not. There are also side notes on nautical terms, piracy, and other facts having to do with the sea and/or mermaids. I enjoyed most of the stories very much, aside from one which was a somewhat lengthy description of a 19th century aquarium, which became a bit dull after several pages.
At the end of the book, there is information about other mermaid things, such as a movie list, a book list, and a list of stores where one can purchase mermaid jewelry and apparel.
I've already watched one of the recommended movies (one of the few I haven't already seen, anyway) and enjoyed it very much. I found that the movie, "Miranda" and its sequel "Mad about Men," are loosely based on one of this book's stories ("The Mermaid of Zennor").
This is a great read for any mermaid enthusiast or for anyone in love with the sea.
November 12, 2013
I received this book for free through a GoodReads giveaway.
This is a cute little book about mermaids that brings back your inner child. I entered the giveaway because I was obsessed with Disney's A Little Mermaid growing up. I still picture all mermaids as the super friendly ones who collect random weird human things and randomly burst into song. But this book provides several short stories about the mermaids of legend that were also the mysterious "the sirens of the sea", who lured men in and had a somewhat devilish sex appeal.
I enjoyed reading the stories and would recommend this book to people who also had/have a slight obsession with mermaids and would like to learn about them from a different perspective.
This is a cute little book about mermaids that brings back your inner child. I entered the giveaway because I was obsessed with Disney's A Little Mermaid growing up. I still picture all mermaids as the super friendly ones who collect random weird human things and randomly burst into song. But this book provides several short stories about the mermaids of legend that were also the mysterious "the sirens of the sea", who lured men in and had a somewhat devilish sex appeal.
I enjoyed reading the stories and would recommend this book to people who also had/have a slight obsession with mermaids and would like to learn about them from a different perspective.
February 17, 2019
This was a waste of time.
December 22, 2013
I thought the book was O.K. but I was expecting a more scientific out look with it. I did enjoy the the different tales throughout the book but it took me a while to read it because it did have some boring moments.
October 27, 2013
I'm trying to do this review without any spoilers :)
I won this book in Goodreads giveaway.
I'm always interested in mermaids and stuff related,
and so I decided to get this book a try.
It was very enchanted to read ^^
and I enjoyed reading it very much.
I won this book in Goodreads giveaway.
I'm always interested in mermaids and stuff related,
and so I decided to get this book a try.
It was very enchanted to read ^^
and I enjoyed reading it very much.
November 15, 2014
The Loneliness of a Coney Island Mermaid for any news of my Pod Sisters caused me to waive many of my objections to this idiosyncratic collection. With so few other books to choose from, my standards had to be relaxed. So - five stars!
March 15, 2013
This was a book with just a few short stories about mermaids. They are old short stories and very charming. The only one I didn't care for was the one about the aquarium. Quick read.
March 26, 2014
Mermaids. Mermaids. Mermaids. Nuff' said ;)
August 20, 2015
The formatting on the book that I read (Oyster) was atrocious. It jumped all over the place. Would've been a 4 star rating if the formatting didn't irritate me the entire time I was reading.
October 6, 2015
A charming little book. Very fun to curl up with and browse. Perhaps not the most academic, but still entertaining.
October 25, 2019
A quick and fun “tale” of all things Merfolk and Sea related. One I’m keeping around for the cottage.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews