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A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths
Classical scholar Stephen Kershaw retells and explores Greek myths - both the famous as well as the long forgotten including Theseus and the Minotaur, Jason and the Argonauts and the death of Achilles - and shows how their power has resonated over the centuries from Renaissance painting to the poets of the Great War.
467 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 30, 2021
Като човек, който от дълги години се занимава и предъвка митологията на древните елини, не очаквах, че ще науча нещо ново. Радвам се, че сгреших. На теория знаех, че митологията не е единен монолитен разказ, но четенето на Николай Кун може да е доста заблуждаващо. Макар и не докрай изчерпателен (хайде, това е само въведение), Стивън Кършоу ни представя митовете чрез произведенията и авторите, благодарение на които ги познаваме, в тяхната вариативност, осветлявайки политическите нужди, пропогандата и социалния контекс, оформили част от наративите, които познаваме като гръцка митология. Предпочитам този метод на изучаването им.
December 8, 2023
I came across this one when doing various Google searches on Greek myths, by its title it kind of looked like it would do more than just retell the myths.
It did this, I have come away with a lot more understanding of these myths. What was the most helpful is it made me aware that there is not really a set chronology to these myths – the order of all these stories have been puzzling me for some time. I also liked how it gave very very (and I do mean very) brief commentary to different readings of myths ranging from the structuralist to Freudian to Feminist to Marxist.
As a read I found this easy, and it was made easier to follow with tables and family trees.
The only chapter I was disappointed by was the one on Medea and Jason, compared to the others this was the least informative.
However, the title does say Brief Guide, so it’s given me the beginnings of continuing my journey to look at these stories beyond the myths.
It did this, I have come away with a lot more understanding of these myths. What was the most helpful is it made me aware that there is not really a set chronology to these myths – the order of all these stories have been puzzling me for some time. I also liked how it gave very very (and I do mean very) brief commentary to different readings of myths ranging from the structuralist to Freudian to Feminist to Marxist.
As a read I found this easy, and it was made easier to follow with tables and family trees.
The only chapter I was disappointed by was the one on Medea and Jason, compared to the others this was the least informative.
However, the title does say Brief Guide, so it’s given me the beginnings of continuing my journey to look at these stories beyond the myths.
June 28, 2024
(24 July, 2017)
Not particularly well written but full of information; main myths and variants (well know or otherwise); family links; how myths relate to each other; beautiful Argos; and Atlantis... ?
Every chapter ends with a brief digression of that myth's influence throughout history - meh! I was mainly reading this to refresh my memory, as such I found this very useful and even slightly entertaining.
Not particularly well written but full of information; main myths and variants (well know or otherwise); family links; how myths relate to each other; beautiful Argos; and Atlantis... ?
Every chapter ends with a brief digression of that myth's influence throughout history - meh! I was mainly reading this to refresh my memory, as such I found this very useful and even slightly entertaining.
Read
January 31, 2022Set aside (after about 60 pages) to check when in need of information on a certain myth.
Not the most alluring writing ever. I guess trying to squeeze the entire Greek mythology in less than 500 pages forces one to treat it in an expedient manner - which is not at all my type of read.
But it can be very useful for a brief background story on a particular issue.
Had I finished it, it would have (bearly) gotten 3*.
Not the most alluring writing ever. I guess trying to squeeze the entire Greek mythology in less than 500 pages forces one to treat it in an expedient manner - which is not at all my type of read.
But it can be very useful for a brief background story on a particular issue.
Had I finished it, it would have (bearly) gotten 3*.
December 2, 2015
Overview
I personally don't think this is the best source on Greek Mythology. There are chapters where half of it is just quotes, most noticeably the chapter on the illiad, there are simple mistakes here and there, such as Ares being referred to as Aphrodite's husband (which I double checked to see if there was maybe an alternative telling but no I couldn't find any source where they were married) and a personal annoyance but the author flicks between using Athena and Athene all the time. These are not the main reasons I docked stars, the book wasn't for me in general, but they did not help matters.
I personally don't think this is the best source on Greek Mythology. There are chapters where half of it is just quotes, most noticeably the chapter on the illiad, there are simple mistakes here and there, such as Ares being referred to as Aphrodite's husband (which I double checked to see if there was maybe an alternative telling but no I couldn't find any source where they were married) and a personal annoyance but the author flicks between using Athena and Athene all the time. These are not the main reasons I docked stars, the book wasn't for me in general, but they did not help matters.
April 5, 2022
I read this for a class in Greek mythology and found it very helpful. The book is divided into three sections. The first section is a discussion of myth and mythology: just what is a myth? The second section gives brief summaries of the major Greek myths. In the final section, we're introduced to major ways Greek myths are studied by academics. The book is very readable. I particularly liked all of the connections to art and culture with myths.
March 24, 2024
mito dersi icin okudum guzel bir kitapti
August 2, 2015
Initially I was concerned this book was going to be really dry. Greek mythology is something I've always enjoyed, but so often non-fiction books have anything remotely interesting surgically removed before they are put on the shelves. I'm happy to say that this is not the case! This book is absorbing, well organized, and not so academic it's incomprehensible. Kershaw even includes family trees where it's relevant, so you can attempt to trace how the various characters are related to each other. I say attempt because, possibly in part due to the...creative... sexual attitudes ascribed to the gods, the family trees can be a little difficult to follow. It doesn't help when you have individuals reproducing with their relatives, or being born without intercourse at all. Or (in the case of Zeus) screwing anything that moved. I wasn't expecting to watch the morality morph through the centuries of myths, as we got to the (relatively) newer and more detailed stories. In the beginning, there seemed to be fewer consequences, though it's possible this has more to do with the paucity of details available in the earliest myths. Somebody might still attack and kill you, but generally only if you'd been keeping everyone else locked up under the earth so they can't overthrow you. Or if you've been eating your own children. As we move into more recent myths, the list of things that can get you fed to a sea monster or turned in to a spider gets longer. I suppose part of that is because the tales have morphed from interactions between gods, to interactions between gods and man, and the power imbalance means when a man oversteps what the gods have defined as boundaries, he can be punished with impunity because the chances of him being able to stand up for himself against the god are slim to none. And as women slid onto the lower strata of society in everyday life, their positions of power as represented in the myths slid also, until they could be punished (or attacked) by men and by gods with impunity, and were only rescued if another man or another god stepped in. (Which may or may not happen, so don't hold your breath. Apparently these myths predate the classic princess story.)
The icing on cake, for me, was how Kershaw ended each chapter with examples of these myths in the arts. One of my favourites was Euripides' Medea (Medeia in the ancient Grecian spelling), the discussion of which takes up several pages. Detailed, stunning pages. Euripides' sensitivity to Medea's point of view, especially considering the attitudes of the time, completely blew me away. Although his attitude there is kind of an outlier, even compared to his other works. For the rest of the book Kershaw just gives brief outlines of whatever works he's discussing. He even mentions the occasional heavy metal album. Greek mythology does not seem to have become less popular with the passage of time. Scholars still study it, archaeologists excavate searching for truth, artists stretch their skills with it. It's still everywhere, even after thousands of years. A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths is a brief guide to the stories that have made us who we are, and that still continue to form us.
The icing on cake, for me, was how Kershaw ended each chapter with examples of these myths in the arts. One of my favourites was Euripides' Medea (Medeia in the ancient Grecian spelling), the discussion of which takes up several pages. Detailed, stunning pages. Euripides' sensitivity to Medea's point of view, especially considering the attitudes of the time, completely blew me away. Although his attitude there is kind of an outlier, even compared to his other works. For the rest of the book Kershaw just gives brief outlines of whatever works he's discussing. He even mentions the occasional heavy metal album. Greek mythology does not seem to have become less popular with the passage of time. Scholars still study it, archaeologists excavate searching for truth, artists stretch their skills with it. It's still everywhere, even after thousands of years. A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths is a brief guide to the stories that have made us who we are, and that still continue to form us.
April 12, 2017
This was a fun non fiction read! I don't read a lot of non fiction, but I enjoyed how much I learned from this book!
The author first explains what exactly myths are, and the implications they have on society! Then he goes into detail on different Greek myths, kinda like a story, and then explains the different takes on the myths and how history and current societies perceive those myths! These myths include Herakles, Jason and the Argonauts, Theseus, Oedipus, the myth of Atlantis, and many others!
My favourite part was the chunk of the book that focuses on Homer and Troy! The authors goes into detail the different expeditions to find the actual site of Troy, as well as going into detail to explain Homer's the Iliad and the Odyssey!
Overall, an interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed!
The author first explains what exactly myths are, and the implications they have on society! Then he goes into detail on different Greek myths, kinda like a story, and then explains the different takes on the myths and how history and current societies perceive those myths! These myths include Herakles, Jason and the Argonauts, Theseus, Oedipus, the myth of Atlantis, and many others!
My favourite part was the chunk of the book that focuses on Homer and Troy! The authors goes into detail the different expeditions to find the actual site of Troy, as well as going into detail to explain Homer's the Iliad and the Odyssey!
Overall, an interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed!
September 3, 2016
Really enjoyed reading this and looking into some myths I didn't know that well or perhaps I hadn't previously been interested in. At some points it is a little difficult to read as it becomes a little too involved and rambly. Overall a really good read that's made me want to know more of Plato's Atlantis ...real or fiction?
August 29, 2009
An excellent overview of all the main myths and inclusion of some not so well known. A very knowledgeable author. In addition to telling the stories the author also draws on other influences e.g. art, pottery, and discusses the accuracies of film adaptations.
May 19, 2020
This book has been on my shelf for about a year before reading because I thought it was going to be a stale oversimplification for a rather complex and somewhat convoluted subject such as the Greek myths. But it was authored in very digestible language and organized very well, without much material bleeding from one chapter to another leaving things rather muddy and unclear. Kudos to the author for managing to keep things overall neat and tidy, undoing several knots I had with Greek history I had before reading this book.
It is unfortunate, however, that the presentation of the "Atlantis" concluded that it is almost conclusively mythological, one reason being that "geological impossibility" of such an island existing in the Atlantic. Just look at the mid-Atlantic ridge and the Azores Islands on Google maps and try to tell me with a straight face that isn't a prime candidate for such a hypothesis. The rising of ocean levels after the Pleistocene Ice Age around 11,000 BC can be explained by melting glaciers.
And don't even get me started on the "Younger Dryas Impact Event."
It is unfortunate, however, that the presentation of the "Atlantis" concluded that it is almost conclusively mythological, one reason being that "geological impossibility" of such an island existing in the Atlantic. Just look at the mid-Atlantic ridge and the Azores Islands on Google maps and try to tell me with a straight face that isn't a prime candidate for such a hypothesis. The rising of ocean levels after the Pleistocene Ice Age around 11,000 BC can be explained by melting glaciers.
And don't even get me started on the "Younger Dryas Impact Event."
February 21, 2023
Book Review 📚
‘A Brief Guide to The Greek Myths’ By Stephen P.Kershaw ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Kershaw’s book does well to cover a vast majority of Greek myths within its 467 pages. The way the book is structured is by introducing a myth, retelling the story and then providing an analysis of said myth through modern and ancient lenses. These analyses are done via art work, plays, architecture movies, historians and of course the father of psychoanalysis- Sigmund Freud.
This book was definitely written to be more of an academic resource, one to educate not entertain. Sadly the author tends to inflict their own biases into the work, there are regular comments that can be regarded as misogynistic and favour the ‘man’ in the story over the woman.
Regardless, if you are looking for a book to store on your shelf and only reach for when needing information- then this is the book.
If you are looking for an entertaining piece that walks you through the world of Ancient Greece, give this a miss.
‘A Brief Guide to The Greek Myths’ By Stephen P.Kershaw ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Kershaw’s book does well to cover a vast majority of Greek myths within its 467 pages. The way the book is structured is by introducing a myth, retelling the story and then providing an analysis of said myth through modern and ancient lenses. These analyses are done via art work, plays, architecture movies, historians and of course the father of psychoanalysis- Sigmund Freud.
This book was definitely written to be more of an academic resource, one to educate not entertain. Sadly the author tends to inflict their own biases into the work, there are regular comments that can be regarded as misogynistic and favour the ‘man’ in the story over the woman.
Regardless, if you are looking for a book to store on your shelf and only reach for when needing information- then this is the book.
If you are looking for an entertaining piece that walks you through the world of Ancient Greece, give this a miss.
July 18, 2018
Доста интересни тълкувания на някои митове и събрани обяснения от редица изследователи през вековете. Лесно четиво без претенция за изчерпателност или съвършенство. Отлично за припомняне на отдавна забравени истории и подходящо начало за всеки, който никога не се е занимавал с митология.
Покрива митове за създаването на света, раждането на боговете, всички основни герои (Персей, Тезей, Херкулес, Язон и пр.) и приключенията им, богато разнообразие от по-малко известни митове, войната с троянците, пътешествията на Одисей, та чак и малко за Атлантида накрая.
Най-впечатляващо за мен си остана това, че всяка глава завършва с насочване към културната ценност на дадената материя, като авторът изброява и коментира произведения на изкуството - изобразително, музикално, литературно, кино.
Покрива митове за създаването на света, раждането на боговете, всички основни герои (Персей, Тезей, Херкулес, Язон и пр.) и приключенията им, богато разнообразие от по-малко известни митове, войната с троянците, пътешествията на Одисей, та чак и малко за Атлантида накрая.
Най-впечатляващо за мен си остана това, че всяка глава завършва с насочване към културната ценност на дадената материя, като авторът изброява и коментира произведения на изкуството - изобразително, музикално, литературно, кино.
March 19, 2022
I finished this book, at last! It’s been ages since I’ve been meaning to finish this one.
The first half of the book is good. But somehow, it went downhill towards the end. Personally, I also didn’t like the notes being written at the back of the book. I was constantly flipping the book just so I could read the notes better.
However, I think this is still a good book if you are interested in Greek Mythology. I’ve read plenty of stories in here that I haven’t heard before. The author also made comparisons of stories of different writers, even the different film adaptations were mentioned in this book.
The first half of the book is good. But somehow, it went downhill towards the end. Personally, I also didn’t like the notes being written at the back of the book. I was constantly flipping the book just so I could read the notes better.
However, I think this is still a good book if you are interested in Greek Mythology. I’ve read plenty of stories in here that I haven’t heard before. The author also made comparisons of stories of different writers, even the different film adaptations were mentioned in this book.
November 3, 2023
Just finished reading “a brief guide to the Greek myths” by Stephen Kershaw
A good overall story narrative book, not what I was keen to read and know though.. I had always fascinated Greek History and Myths, and wanted to know more about them regardless if they did exist in reality before or not, specially the well-known hero’s stories
This book though is giving a lot and j mean it (a lot) of details that I couldn’t keep track with some stories sequences.. also, lots of unnecessary details and information (to me at least) that made the book somehow boring
It is a good one if you want to use it as a history reference, but not for Greek myths
July 15, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me off my childhood where I was obsessed with the Greek and Roman mythology. My favourite myths being 1) Perseus and Medousa ; 2) Thesus and the Minotaur; and 3) The Trojan Horse.
I liked how the myths changed over time to reflect the requirements of the ancient people I. E Hercules grew out of favour to be replaced by Jason because the culture at the time favoured beauty over physical strength.
Some of the myths are not for the faint hearted. Very brutal in places.
I liked how the myths changed over time to reflect the requirements of the ancient people I. E Hercules grew out of favour to be replaced by Jason because the culture at the time favoured beauty over physical strength.
Some of the myths are not for the faint hearted. Very brutal in places.
February 2, 2025
A bit of a slog inasmuch that there is so much information and so many names that I couldn’t take everything in and consequently didn’t get quite as much out of the book as I wanted to. But the author should be congratulated on getting so much in a novel-sized book.
My thought, though, is that someone needs to do a soap opera based on Greek mythology - there is more sex and deaths than even Eastenders!!
My thought, though, is that someone needs to do a soap opera based on Greek mythology - there is more sex and deaths than even Eastenders!!
April 16, 2018
The author’s style is more academic than narrative, but I still learned a ton and enjoyed reading these timeless stories, and their many variants. I’ve been into Greek myths since I was a kid, and I love that there’s still more of them I don’t know.
February 23, 2021
This book was pretty in depth about all of the Greek Mythology figures. I bought this book on a whim, and I found it very informative. I like learning about other religions, and Greek Mythology has so many tendrils in so many things in the modern world. It was neat to see all the connections.
May 6, 2021
•3/5•
Pek beklediğim gibi değildi. Bütün olasılıklara yer edinmiş kitap ve bu ayrıntılar bir yerden sonra gereksiz geldi. Bazı tanrılar hakkında ise doğru düzgün bilgi verilmemişti bile. Bu şekilde olacağını düşünmemiştim bu kitabın🥲
Pek beklediğim gibi değildi. Bütün olasılıklara yer edinmiş kitap ve bu ayrıntılar bir yerden sonra gereksiz geldi. Bazı tanrılar hakkında ise doğru düzgün bilgi verilmemişti bile. Bu şekilde olacağını düşünmemiştim bu kitabın🥲
July 2, 2019
A very accessible introduction/explanation of the major myths, written in a sometimes jocular manner which is very engaging.
July 7, 2020
Now I want to learn even more about all types of mythology.
Read
April 30, 20212 copies
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2022
I enjoyed all the contemporary references to the myths - but the atypical spelling of names confused me.
May 8, 2023
I could not finish it. It's good for a quick overview of the myths and some explanation about them and the history. Though I did not finish it what I did read was not bad.
August 25, 2025
A great summary of the main Greek myths that manages to engagingly tell the stories while also placing them in a broader academic context. I loved learning about different ways of looking at myths, such as structuralism and comparatism.
I did however find the examples of modern retellings towards the end of each chapter to be a bit arbitrary. The author seems to pull examples of films and plays depicting Greek myths at random, while not looking more structurally at how they influence storytelling today, which I feel would have been more in line with the rest of the approach in the book.
And at times, some formulations the author uses feel a bit odd, in particular regarding sexual encounters with the gods. I think we might have to do away with the tradition of describing Zeus' many rapes as 'amorous adventures' or any instances of rape as simply 'having sex'. But that is not something the author is alone in doing, so I wouldn't fault (just) this book for that.
I'm going for 3.5 stars, but rounding up.
I did however find the examples of modern retellings towards the end of each chapter to be a bit arbitrary. The author seems to pull examples of films and plays depicting Greek myths at random, while not looking more structurally at how they influence storytelling today, which I feel would have been more in line with the rest of the approach in the book.
And at times, some formulations the author uses feel a bit odd, in particular regarding sexual encounters with the gods. I think we might have to do away with the tradition of describing Zeus' many rapes as 'amorous adventures' or any instances of rape as simply 'having sex'. But that is not something the author is alone in doing, so I wouldn't fault (just) this book for that.
I'm going for 3.5 stars, but rounding up.
April 25, 2025
Deep and comprehensive collection of mythological stories and academic commentary on them. The book delves into the historical significance of mythology, origin and evolution of myths, the role they played in the ancient world. Essential for Greek mythology lovers.
January 31, 2015
If you know nothing about the Greek myths this is an informative read as the author rattles off a comprehensive list of all the famous ones complete with variations mentioned in different texts. Unfortunately so many complicated names follow in rapid succession and their bearers are barely given any defining characteristics that you're soon hopelessly lost and have to reread passages repeatedly to try to keep everything straight. The myths aren't discussed, only summarised and thereafter follows a summary of which artworks depicted the relevant story, which is pointless if you don't have illustrations. It is only when the author gets to the Illiad and the Odyssey that there is some substance to the work as he offers plenty of insight into the famous characters such as Achilles and Hector and explains how the ancient Greek world view influenced Homer. It was also interesting to read where the myth of Atlantis comes from. The third section, which looks at ways to interpret myths and what their purpose is is scant and again only lists the various methods instead of offering any insight. Good as a primer but not in-depth enough if you already know the basics.
August 13, 2016
This is an excellent resource for someone like me for whom study of the Greek myths did not happen until now. However, the book reads more like a textbook and took a long time to finish. And, after finishing, I am still having trouble remembering all the characters and what they did. But, this is a resource to review any time!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews