Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths

by Bernard Evslin

The bestselling compendium of ancient Greece’s timeless tales and towering figures of mythology from a classics expert.
 
The world of Greek mythology contains some of the most exciting and imaginative stories ever told. In Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths, bestselling author Bernard Evslin shares his passion for these fabulous tales and the eternal themes they so beautifully express. In this accessible overview, you’ll get to know the iconic gods, heroes, and tragic figures: Zeus, the all-powerful king of the gods; Hera, his cunning and jealous wife; King Midas, whose touch could turn anything into gold; the sculptor Pygmalion, who falls in love with his own creation; and many more.
 
With each story, Evslin brings new life to these legendary characters and the magical world they inhabit. Translated into multiple languages, and with more than ten million copies sold, this invaluable resource has become a classic in itself.
 

Contains
The gods
- Zeus
- Hera
- Athene
- Poseidon
- Hades
- Demeter
- Birth of the twins
- Artemis
- Apollo
- Sons of Apollo
- Hermes
- Hephaestus
- Aphrodite
Nature myths
- Prometheus
- Pandora
- Phaethon
- Orpheus
- Narcissus and Echo
- Eros and Psyche
- Arion
Demigods.
- Perseus
- Daedalus
- Theseus
- Atalanta
Fables
- Midas
- Pygmalion

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Greek Mythology, School, Reference

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Bernard Evslin was an author best known for his adaptations of Greek mythology. With over seventy titles, which include both novel-length retellings and short stories, Evslin is one of the most widely published authors of classical mythology in the world. His best-known work is Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths, which has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and has been translated into ten different languages. An estimated 30 million students have come into contact with Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths due to its repeated use in high school and college classrooms over the years. This bestselling anthology includes such well-known stories as "Theseus and the Minotaur" and "Perseus and Medusa." He also published non-Hellenic titles such as The Green Hero, based on the Irish mythological character Finn McCool. He also was involved in an audio book called: "Children of the Corn." It included "Whistling Boy" a Native American tale; "Pancho's Puppets," a story about a boy in Mexico, and other stories.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Whoever takes me captive won't live long enough to enjoy it”
― Bernard Evslin, Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths

If you are seeking stories of Greek Mythology, might I suggest this wonderful little book?!

It is a gem. And it is packed full of adventure, fierceness and fun. It will take you through all the Gods....their stories, their individual sagas and adventures. It is a timeless read that I adore.

This is not a complicated book. And if you know nothing of Greek Mythology or do and just want to know more, it makes a great book to read.

They are all in here. And there are so many stories all brimming with excitement and fun. I first read this as a child but periodically read it again, purely for how much fun it is. It never loses its appeal.

It's short as well so you don't get bogged down. But this does not read as a text book which it is not. And the writing is not dry at all.

These are all short stories, all in one book and each story deals with a different adventure. The book starts where the reader is introduced to each individual God and and each individual Goddess and then goes on from there.

Highly recommended if one has an interest in Mythology.

[josie hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

i had to read this for english and ughhh it was good but the classes quizzes almost killed me bc why do i have to know their eye color??

i did love it though, i liked every story and how detailed it was (if it werent for school) and how vivid and interesting the stories were. i was genuinely so interested in all of the stories.

i totally recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about greek mythology!!

and my favorite quote is from Midas’s story:
“Life is the only wealth.”

4.5/5⭐️

[PurplyCookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously written for a younger audience (compared to the compliation of Hamilton & Bulfinch) since most of the more obscure Greek myths (and in many cases, the more interesting ones) are left out entirely; of the myths which are included, only one version is presented of each, obscuring the fact that in many cases there were multiple versions of each myth, each version interesting and useful in its own right. Yet with simple language and direct verse, he quite excellently brings out a depth in the characters and a second meaning in stories which have rung hollow or been lost by other, supposedly great poets.

The earth breeds giants and ogres of indescribable horror -- the heavens hold omnipotent gods and goddesses, abounding in courage, strength and wisdom. Among the selected stories were that of: Perseus shows his courage in slaying Medusa and rescuing Andromeda while Theseus displays quick thinking in destroying many monsters including the Minotaur. Readers learn a new side of Daedalus, the father of Icarus, who invented the labyrinth for King Minos. The final stories of Atalanta, King Midas, and Pygmalion teaches the universal themes of love and greed which still abound in modern society.

While this is not as sophisticated as Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" or as academic as other texts, this one adapts the Greek tales in a very reader-friendly way. One can easily get a sense of the drama, intensity and personalities of these ancient heroes and anti-heroes.

The long list of vocabulary written in the back is quite accessible to the first time reader of Greek mythology plus shows the clear link between the Greeks and modern civilization.


Book Details:

Title Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myth
Author Bernard Evslin
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The birth of the monster is attended by rage, and that is what makes him monstrous, the wrath of a god or, more often, a goddess carving a dangerous, ugly form for itself out of living flesh.



How we became the creatures of Light and Darkness

These Greek myths are drenched in sunlight, and this sunlight is more than weather; it is a moral quality. Heroes love to cavort in the open air, to fly, to cleave the burning sea, race on the hills, hunt over the fields. But monsters belong to darkness. Where the Gorgons live it is always winter. Cerberus, the three-headed dog, guards the gate of dark Tartarus, the land of the dead. Scylla and Echidne, the dreaded serpent-women, lurk in a sea-cave waiting to swallow the tides, make shipwrecks, catch sailors and crack their bones. The Minotaur howls in a maze of shadows. The monsters wait in darkness, and when heroes hunt them, they must come in out of the sun, and the ordeal starts right there.

So we see a great religious theme—the eternal struggle between the powers of Light and the powers of Darkness embodied in these simple stories in a way that has branded itself on man’s consciousness forever.



Discover the ancient Gods;
Zeus
Hera
Athene
Poseidon
Hades
Demeter
Atremis
Apollo
Sons of Apollo
Hermes
Hephaestus
Aphrodite

Explore the nature myths;
Prometheus
Pandora
Phaethon
Orpheus
Narcissus and Echo
Eros and Psyche
Arion

Be introduced to the Demigods;
Perseus
Daedalus
Theseus
Atalanta

Enjoy the Fables;
Midas
Pygmalion



A family quarrel or civil war!
In Greek mythology heroes and monsters alike are spawned by the gods. The Gorgons, those snake-haired horrors, are grand-daughters of Rhea, mother of Zeus, which makes them cousins of their arch-enemy, Perseus. In other words, both good and evil come from the gods. Good is the divine enemy expressing itself through men of high deeds. Evil is the same energy, twisted. When hero confronts monster in these myths it is apt to be a family quarrel.



Enjoy

[Bawy{•_•} · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3.5 ✨ ***

For a girl whose knowledge about Greek mythology doesn't go beyond the movie " Troy " , this book was quite helpful 🧡.

Though I was confused at some parts because of the many names and places, still this was an easy book to read. The book doesn't provide you with everything you need to know about Greek myths but it gives you the basics about these gods and their natures , so it's very useful for beginners 💛.

IF I had to choose my favorite fable from this book, I would go with the one about " Echo and Narcissus " 😊, it was really cool the way they related this myth to the flower 🌼🏵️.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about Greek myths, gods, goddesses, demigods who become heroes, and deadly monsters such as the Minotaur and Medusa. One myth tells the story of Zeus’s father, Cronos, who killed his own father Uranus in order to take his throne. However, Uranus tells him that one of his sons would overthrow him one day. So Cronos swallows his children as they are born: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. But he doesn’t know that Zeus made a drink that would force Cronos to vomit up his kids. Afterwards, the six of them defeat him and Zeus becomes the king of the gods.
Another story talks about a very clever demigod named Theseus who uses his enemies’ strength to defeat them. There is also the story of the heroic demigod Perseus, who beheaded the Medusa in order to kill the evil King Polydectes of Sephiros.
I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about Greek mythology. The most interesting thing I learned from the book, is how some of the events/characters became part of the English language: One example is the story of Echo, a nymph who distracts Hera so she wouldn’t catch Zeus with other maidens. But when Hera finds out about Echo’s trickery, she curses her to only repeat the last words that are said to her. That’s how we get the word ‘echo’ today. In another myth, after Athena wins a weaving contest against a Lydian girl named Arachne, the goddess turns her into a spider. That’s where the word ‘arachnid’ comes from.

[Knowlton Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. I'm aware it is more of an introduction, but Evslin's love for the mythology is absolutely contagious. I didn't care about Greek mythology much in high school, so a lot of my familiarity with it comes from Percy Jackson, discovered later in life. This means several of the stories were familiar, but I loved hearing them with greater depth. I really had fun with Theseus, but Pygmalion may have been my favorite. With Pygmalion, I sensed traces of the too-good-to-be-true-ishness of Christianity. It felt like C. S. Lewis was glancing up from a gigantic book and a comically large cup of tea and winking at me with the good humor of a boisterous butcher.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

cool

[••sierra marie•• · Rating 3 out of 5]

i promise you my english teacher flipped to a random page and was like “what was the word they used to describe Aphrodite on page 67.” SIX SEVENNNN😏

The book was interesting
the last line was like “dear husband, it’s now my time to work on you” EXUSE MWAH?

also this man turned his daughter gold and was like “this was unfortunate but i have no time to be sad, i must get busy turning things gold”

WHAT THE FREAKY????

okay that’s all
also the gods are freakyy wdym zeus had like 20 million children
poor hera
looks like i learned something in english class😝

[Joshua Mogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

great explanation on the interconnectedness of all the greek gods, demigods and heroes. the book gave short overviews on each aspect, and even included a chart dedicated to showing the impact that greek has had on modern english! fantastic book overall!

[Novalee Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a reread for me and I’m really glad I did reread it (even if it was a required reading in class)
Although every quiz for this book was incredibly annoying I still enjoyed reading the stories and re absorbing all that information.

I used to listen to this book on Audible all the time as a kid and it was one of the books that really sparked my love for greek mythology. But because I was so little I didn’t absorb everything but now rereading it as I’m older, I was really able to digest everything!

One thing that I thought was really interesting was the fact that Athena was named Athene in this book. I’ve never heard her referred to as that. But I looked it up and it’s actually the Greek version of her name!

Another thing that I thought was interesting is that some of the stories were slightly different to other retellings I’ve read of these same myths. Of course retelling stories will vary but it was just something I noticed!

In the end it was defiantly very reminiscent of my first look at greek mythology as a kid and I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good start into the world of the Greek pantheon, demigods, and monsters!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the way that the author introduced each character & told their stories. My only complaint is that I wish there were more stories included in this novel. It just felt a bit short.

[Kathryn Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

i had to read this for a school assignment and it took all my strength to get through this book. some of the stories were a little interesting but it wasn’t the type of book i like to read.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for a reading challenge category. This is this book that introduced me to Greek Mythology as a kid and I was obsessed. I think it holds up well overall!

[rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evslin’s version is average in general. The writing was decent at best, I did like some lines here and there. My only complaint is that some stories felt wonky. This is a me problem but most Greek figures I disliked had the longest stories which made reading a bit tedious at times.

[David Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone wanting an introductory level account of some of the most well known Greek myths, this book should suffice. It provides brief overviews of many of the main gods of the pantheon as well as some nature myths and more detailed accounts of the demi-gods. Some of the stories even bother to give character motivations that go beyond the incessant pride, jealousy, and lust of the gods.

Of course, some of the myths seem maddening and random while others are complicated and quite beautiful. I have always been particularly fond of the story of Orpheus, which is well told here.

The book is unfortunately frustrating in several ways. Many figures get mentioned and then are quickly forgotten or never fully explained. Hestia, for instance, gets skipped over while Atlas, Hercules, Tantalus, and Sisyphus only make brief appearances. Their stories are just as important as the others in this collection for building a foundational knowledge of Greek mythology.

There are some silly mistakes as well. Daedalus seems to be incorrectly labeled as a demi-god, and sometimes names change without warning or clarification. Uranus inexplicably becomes Oranos.

I know it goes beyond the scope of what this book is trying to do, but it would be nice if Evslin would explain the importance of these myths beyond simply stating they had a profound effect on him as a child. If this book is to be used by students, I find they often like to know why stories like these are still important in addition to the stories themselves.

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always felt cheated that United States we were not taught Mythology in school. All the references to mythological creatures and their stories, and the part of language that they prompted was not part of my education. Loving poetry, I missed this connection even more. I'd picked up snatches here and there, but not a solid foundation.
Therefore, I was drawn to this book, which did not disappoint. My only complaint would be that it as too short and more myths would have been great. (I plan to read Edith Hamilton's Mythology). This book does do a really great thing in adding a chart, a 'mythology becomes language' section and a bibliography at the end. Very helpful. The stories are engaging, with just enough detail.
One of the co-authors is Ned E. Hoopes. In the 70s I had read his "The Edge of Awareness," apparently a different form for him. A good author.
Recommended for middle school and up to adults.

[Saige Mazzolato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book doesn’t have many stories in it, but does have some good ones of demigods and a couple of good fables. If you’re looking for a short and easy to digest book about some famous Greek myths, this is a good choice. I wish that the title had accurately reflected what is in the book, however. I had initially expected more stories about great heroes and terrible monsters, but as previously stated, it’s just a small batch of short, obviously paraphrased, stories of a few demigods and a couple of other fables thrown in for good measure. I enjoyed the book, I just expected a little more based on the title. It would be a good starter book for someone wanting to see if they’d be interested in Greek Mythology.

[Daniel Korn Korn]

I really liked this book because Greek myths are one of my favorite genres. I also liked this book because there were tons of stories in them, it was made up of about 6 different stories. Each story had it's own villain, good guy, and helper. I really liked all of the action in the stories. I also liked how each god had it's own power which makes them unique from the rest

[OwlBeReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read this for school and I thought that it was pretty good. I love Greek mythology so there's a plus. Not terrible but not great. The writing was a little strange but I liked how quick the chapters were. My favorite stories were about Aphrodite.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little book about Greek mythology. Most of the stories are quite short, which I liked. Evslin Chose several to expand (the ‘Demigods’ section), and while they were nice, I wish he would have chosen others.
My favorite story was the Athene one and how spiders came to be!

[Richie]

Since I read this book for a class I won’t rate it but I did enjoy the last story a nice ending to a book where people get eaten on the first page.

[olivia bohr · Rating 1 out of 5]

i hated this book so much. it is literally the worst book i have ever read in all my life.

[Enrique · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy to read compilation of Greek myths, based mainly on Ovidio's metamorphoses.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, insomuch as I happen to be interested in Greek mythology. The tales are hyper short & are easy to understand. (Nice when you're a younger reader or someone who's just now being introduced to Greek mythology.) No comparison between the Greek Gods & the Roman Gods (who were "borrowed" from the Greeks). Very light on the information. I didn't feel like I had to think hard & I didn't learn anything new, unfortunately.

That said, I would recommend this to those starting out in their Greek mythology.

[Keith Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

During my senior year of High School, the nuns required us to translate portions of the Odyssey from Latin. From this I developed a strong interest in Greek Mythology. For about a year, I wrestled with the worlds described in the Odyssey, the Iliad and by Bulfinch. Then I moved on to other things. I'm back now! What great fun. For the youngsters out there who have not read about Poseidon, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, Eros, Perseus, Midas and the Demigods, I encourage you to see where the inspiration for The Lord of the Rings, The Game of Thrones and others came from. Your welcome.

[Alyssa White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't love the stories of the Greeks? This book only makes me enjoy them more. More details behind the myths and heros that I was always fascinated with and opened my eyes to one I knew so little about. Loved it. I wish there was more!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting stories. The Greek gods seem very promiscuous, vengeful, foolhardy and jealous.
I like how the tales are linked with natural phenomena, like summer and winter, spiders, crows, stars etc. They embody pretty fascinating imaginations and wisdom people had thousands of years ago.

[Bryce Beale · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most difficult parts about studying Greek mythology, in my opinion, is the diversity of contradicting stories. I suppose that is the nature of myth. Maybe I am spoiled as a Christian, having a defined canon that is internally consistent!

This book ignores that difficulty and presents some of the key figures and stories without very much caveating. In this way, I found it a really helpful introduction or reminder of some of the key points.

As to the myths themselves, I side with Socrates--if someone were genuinely to accept these gods as their gods, what hope would there be for morality? If Zeus cannot be faithful to Hera, why should anyone else be to their spouse?

[Zeynep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hikayelerini bilmediğim açıdan anlattı ve 5 tane fln bilmediğim hikaye vardı ama bazı hikayeleri yarıda bırakıp pek detaylı anlatamadı o yüzden de tam olmadı ee devamı nerde gibi hissetim ve şimdi kendim araştırcam ama genel olarak güzel kitap baya bişiler öğretiyo