Mythomania: Tales of Our Times, from Apple to Isis

by Peter Conrad

Weaves ancient myth into modern celebrity and consumerist culture to expose the absurdity and occasional insanity of twenty-first-century society, economy, and politics Despite a proclaimed respect for scientific reason, humans are still as intrigued by myth as their remote ancestors. Laptops and smartphones are sold under a logo that invokes the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden; skimpily clad classical nymphs cavort in TV reality shows; Narcissus makes a comeback whenever we snap a selfie. Mythical creatures such as handsome vampires abound in best-selling novels. Myth has also invaded the political realm, now that terrorists brandish black flags and recite theological mantras as they martyr themselves. In twenty-seven self-contained entries, Conrad illuminates in his own remarkable way subjects from the British Queen to the Kardashians, via Banksy, vaping, and the inception of the Large Hadron Collider. In Judge Judy, he shows a matronly Roman goddess dispensing justice with a fly swatter. In the metamorphosis of Caitlyn Jenner from Olympic athlete and paterfamilias into idealized female form, he finds parallels to the transformations of the residents of Mount Olympus. Myths used to tell us where we came from. Now, alarmed but also elated by the pace of change in our society, we need them to tell us where we are going.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Sociology, Mythology, Philosophy, Psychology, History

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Hunter Lynch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made an account just so I could come say that this is one long ego-stroking, dry, metaphor-ridden terror. As someone who studies classics, I was more hoping for contemporary comparisons of mythology, which I started to see in the first few pages. However, as it progressed I realized it was just a long-winded tribute to one person, while also being a criticism of consumerism in the most I-have-a-thesaurus-what-about-you kind of way.

[Mrs. Brim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. I like books with short sections so that I can read them in small increments & feel accomplished. Each chapter seemed like a short essay or article & didn't really feel like they were parts of a larger narrative or a cumulative argument. I enjoyed the interesting observations & analysis. It was an interesting combination of sociocultural commentary & structural/literary analysis. I feel like a more interesting human being for reading it.

[Ramil Kazımov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Şimdiye kadar mitlerle ilgilenmemiş biri olarak bu kitabı okumak bana biraz tuhaf hissettirdi doğrusu..

Peter Conradın yazmış olduğu "Mitomani" isimli kitabı okumam neredeyse 3 hafta sürdü. Sorun kitabın ağır olmasından dolayı değildi, sorun yalnızca zamanımın şu aralar kısıtlı olması..


Kitap son derece ilgi çekiciydi. Ben tam olarak anladığımı söyleyemem zira bana göre, şimdiye kadar ilgilendiğim konulara kıyasla çok farklı birşeydi. Amma ve lakin yazarın Roland Barthes-in Güncel Söylemler kitabına istinat yapıyor ve günümüz yaşamını tahlil ediyor. Conrad-dan anladığım bir şey olduysa o da insan yaşamının mitlerden ve de mitlere anlam kazandırma çabasından ibaret olmasıdır. Burada bir gerçek payı olduğu, hatta tam olarak inkaredilmez olduğu doğru. Yazar diyor ki insanlar yaşadığı çevreyi geçmişin mitlerinden arındırmazlar, geçmişin mitlerini değişime uğratırlar ve de anlam katmaya çalışırlar. Bana göre günümüz mitlerinden biri de "adil devlet" mitidir. Devletler tarih boyunca sermaye yığımının organize olmasında esaslı rol oynamıştır. Günümüzde de bu rolü oynamaya devam eder ama insanlar onlara sürekli propagandası yapılan "devlet insanların iyiliği içindir" fikrini göz önünde bulundurarak "devlet şunu yapmalıdır, devlet bunu yapmalıdır. Devlet yasaları adalete esaslanmalıdır " gibi saçma ve naif fikirlere yönelirler. Halbuki daha Önce Andrew Heywood-un yazmış olduğu Siyaset Teorisine Giriş kitabında rastıma çıkmış bir cümle ile özetlersek "yasalar adalet için değildir, yasalar devletin güç gösterisi içindir. Devlet yasanı yapmakla "ben güçlüyüm. Benim dediğimi yaparsan rahat yaşarsın ama yapmazsan ve de bana karşı gelirsen seni ezerim" der. Yaşadığımız yüzyıl tam olarak bir mit yüzyılı. İsmini ne koyursanız koyun, isterseniz demokrasi deyin, isterseniz hümanizma falan deyin, anlamı yok. Hayat koca bir mitler yığınından ibaret değil mi ? Air Force One filmini yorumladığı kısım çok hoşuma gitti. Ayrıca kapitalizm ve Meyer-in "Alacakaranlık" serisine ve de E. L. James-in "....in elli tonu" üçlemesine yönelik araştırmaları harika. Bir gün mutlaka yeniden okuyacağım kitaplardan biri.

[Cassandra Marie Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so far from what I thought, expected and wanted it to be. Pompous, ego, writen for ones self kinda book. The author has basically wrote a book for self gratification and not for an end reader.

It is poor, I hadn't read the original work in which this was meant to mirror, reignite and elaborate on. However, I feel it went very off point. At points ranted personally and also for me had no relation to myth what so ever.

The only bit I got on board with was about Banksy. This had context and clarity. It actually linked to the blurb of the book! The rest was waffle. Boring at that.

[Hanna (lapetiteboleyn) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Peter Conrad read Barthes once and hasn't shut up about it since.

[Mateen Ar · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book under the impression that it was a reception of ancient myths, explaining the modern fascination with ancient Greco-Roman mythology. It is not that. Mythomania feels like the thought diary of someone who likes dictionaries, television, and Roland Barthes.
Each chapter of the book takes a subject often borrowed from the news, the mall or from TV and provides a deconstructivist view of it. These topics are all mythological, which here means that they leave an impression on public opinion. Some of these cases are genuinely interesting and are made somewhat easy to read because of how short each chapter is.
A less kind review would call this book 'Contemporary Capitalist Myths'. The author's tone reads rather condescendingly as he implies what he agrees and disagrees with, especially where ethnic and economic backgrounds are concerned, the author leaves little room for the modern reader to sympathise with. In a chapter about an Emirati art gallery, the authtor implies that it is a wonder that the newly found city (comparative to European hubs) has become such a centre for art, and that the emir there may not fully comprehend the value of all the art in his local gallery. This seems so snubby: not every Londoner, rich or poor, thinks that every exhibition in Tate Modern is even proper art! And that is the beauty of art - that the beholder is given full judgement to appreciate what stands out to them; not everything will.
Such tones and judgements can be found here and there in this book, and they do leave the reader wondering if he should stop reading. I finished the book because the topic of most chapters did stand out to me (though I struggled with the Kardashian chapters). As a final point of criticism, the book contains many quotes, some of which do appear out of or without context. This makes the text rather untrustworthy at points.

I would not recommend this book to anyone, unless they are keenly interested in Roland Barthes.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of essays that examine various aspects of modern culture, from Apple Computer's apple logo, to neon lights, to the Kardashians, analyzing how they echo and reproduce ancient myths that lie at the heart of all human thought and experience and help us explain our world.

Conrad brings rigorous intellectual investigation to the obscurest cultural phenomena, such as a chicken restaurant chain. He is following in the footsteps of French philosopher Roland Barthes, who himself analyzed modern culture in a similar vein a half century ago and there are many references to Barthes here.

The short essays are interesting to read. They bring a philosophical angle to our everyday occurrences and objects which we don't pay all that much attention to. Some readers may be put off by his investing the symbols of popular culture with such significance (such as imbuing Apple's apple with the weight of the original apple in the Garden of Eden story). But if you want to think more deeply about everyday aspects of our world, this is a great read.

[Chrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this...but I was anticipating a different type of book. This is a collection of essays that references R. Barthes' Mythologies essays in relation to similar elements in modern pop culture. The essays were short and the writing was clear with a strong authorial voice. However, the essays in this collection feel underdone and some of the information seemed off or hurriedly researched (such as the reference to a scene in The Incredibles). The tone of the writing hinted that the topics chosen weren't of much interest to the author and therefore the essays themselves were often a collage of random facts and quotes that sometimes just ended.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok but not what I was hoping for. The blurb says about "tracing myths into the 21st century" so I was expecting a lot more about the history of how they have evolved. Also I'd hoped for more on the psychology aspect of how "we seem no less bedazzled and bedevilled by myth". Instead it was more like an anthology of specific pop culture examples that use mythical symbolism. Some of those were more interesting than others.

[Musab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanırım kitap yazarın farklı zamanlarda yazdığı veya konuştuğu mevzuların derlemesi şeklinde oluşturulmuş. Çok dağınık geldi bir de kopukluklar ilgimi çekmeyen konularla birleşince bazı bölümleri bomboş okudum gibi hissediyorum. Kardashianlar, Air Force One ve Kraliçe Elizabeth en sevdiğim bölümler oldu.

[David Provost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conrad illuminates the proposition that as humans we need / require myth in our everyday lives. In Mythomania, he cites thirty or so examples of where and how we have appropriated the gods of Olympus and ancient Rome and applied them to 21st century life – from Christianity to the Kardashians, from Judge Judy to subway passes. It’s quick read that provides profound insights into human behavior and beliefs.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough one to rate. The premise is unique: deconstruct mythologies in the style of Roland Barthes, but update it (much like Fallout Boy has done for "We Didn't Start the Fire"). Sadly, the essay collection is wildly uneven and often too clever for its own good. Some essays are inventive while others are pedantic and cranky. Also: there is no need for transphobic references to Caitlyn Jenner or Lana Wachowski. Ever.

[Ajay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that says a lot, but is more verbal diarrhea then message.

Ancient myths, modern celebrity and consumerism, society, economy, and politics. Selfies, Nandos, the London skyline, the Kardashians, Banksy, Vaping, Judge Judy, Twilight, and Fifty Shades of Grey. I felt myself lost within the mind of the author which moves quickly, almost franticly -- clearly containing intelligence and wit -- yet failing to entertain or educate.

[James G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Conrad's Mythomania is a tribute to Roland Barthes. The book is a collection of short vignettes of remarkable erudition, balancing a point-counterpoint investigation into various items - from Kim & Kanye to Air Force One -- their myth and meaning. Mythomania is a dignified and entertaining read of public history, discourse, structural philosophy and late post psychoanalysis.

[Bahadır Yalçın · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bir nevi popüler kültür eleştirisi. Sonu gelmez pop ikonlar denizinde boğulmamak için bize can simidi uzatıyor. Kitap Roland Barthes'i önderi olarak kabul etmiş. Onun izlerini takip ederek çağdaş örneklerin içine dalıyor. Beni esas ilgilendiren kısmı yazarın müthiş mizahi kabiliyeti. Bizim Tanıl Bora'yla Woody Allen'ın aynı beyinde birleşmesi, şahane!

[Lauren Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised when a discourse on Nandos popped up, and so was less surprised when I read a whole chapter about Judge Judy.
If you ever wish to read about the mythology of Kanye West and "cronuts", go nuts with Mythomania!

[Sai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and engaging. I enjoy Barthes’ 1950s wry commentary on the topic, and Conrad has written this contemporary version with so much intelligence and a vast referential knowledge which made me look things up to connect the dots more than once.

[DeanJean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels like it was randomly stitched together with bits and pieces of Greek myths.

[Lindsay Kyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful transphobic treatment of caitlyn jenner.

[selin akkoc]

“Bize once nereden geldigimizi anlatan mitoloji, simdi uzak mesafeleri tedirginlikle inceleyerek, nereye gittigimizi gostermeye calisiyor. “

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torn between 3 and 4 rating for this - 3.5 would have been my preferred option. Very interesting book, especially the first section, but can be a bit hard to pick back up in places.

[Cally · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays, well researched and intriguing.
Enjoyment is entirely dependent on the subject of the essay. Some were much too dry for my taste and others were incredibly interesting.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's a germ of an interesting idea in here; what a shame it's completely unreadable

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gather that this book is based on a Radio 4 series, although I’ve never heard it. My interest was based on the intersection of Barthes and contemporary pop culture artifacts. Unfortunately, Conrad, although erudite and entertaining, is no Barthes. I found that the tone too often seemed like a Baby Boomer tutting at the preoccupations of Youth. As a Millennial, I bridle instinctively at this even when I essentially agree with the critique. Indeed, Conrad taught me much more than I previously knew about the Kardashians, the Twilight books, and Banksy. The analysis had a distance to it that sometimes verged on the supercilious, as well as being inevitably bitty. As a result, I enjoyed various parts without finding that it all amounted to much. Honestly, I enjoy pure uncut semiotics much more, weird as that may sound.

I was disappointed by the lack of insight into selfies and the social niche occupied by Nando’s. In such cases, using ancient mythology as an analytical tool without reference to current sociology obfuscated rather than illuminating. On the other hand, I liked the comparison of the Eiffel Tower and Shard and the concept of the Queen as an alien. My favourite little chapter, however, concerned the baffling ‘cronut’ craze:

You can also join the queue that forms outside the bakery at around 7 a.m., or earlier over the weekend: in an affluent society, where we have too much of everything, it is modishly retro to be seen in a breadline, like clients at a soup kitchen…

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. I genuinely expected a modern-day version of Barthes Mythologies with solid semiotic insight. I was disappointed. This book is very entertaining, at times it is frankly funny, but it absolutely lacks depth of other mythology-based essays, and by repeatedly referring to them, Peter Conrad is not quite gaining the legitimacy he seems to be seeking, but rather highlights how he did not write about Mythologies at all, but only just put a funny spin on our popular culture.

[E Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book about Jurassic Park, Twilight, 50Shades, the Kardashians, Nando's, Michael Jackson and Isis you'll read this year.....