Saga: Best New Writings on Mythology

by Jonathan Young

Book by

Genres: Mythology

205 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1996

Reviews

[Robert Jr. · Rating 1 out of 5]

As per my usual practice I picked this book up at a used bookstore for cheap and good thing, I did not care for it. A few of the essays within are badly dated with key relevance becoming lost or replaced over time (mid 90's). Most of the essays and articles are mash-ups of new-age hooey, shamanism, and Joseph Campbell worship. Only a couple deal directly with mythology and only one, which one escapes me at the moment, has much to do with literary theory.

I did find enjoyment and interest in a few articles such as Revisiting the Myth of Demeter & Persephone by Christine Downing, Psycho-Erotica: Pursuing the Perverse with Madonna by Patricia Reis because it was so dated but readable, Allen Ginsberg in India an interview with Allen Ginsberg, and Coming Back from the Silence an interview with Ursula Le Guin.

However, most of the entries are very dry and just not what I had hoped what the book would be, mostly about mythology using literary theory or other academic disciplines exploring myth and mythology on levels other than religiosity. I really cannot recommend this book at all.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of essays on mythology by some of the leading minds alive today

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dated and some of the essays are less interesting than they were when new, but there are jewels in here. Worth reading.