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weneed_mobrown's review against another edition
3.0
I finally finished it after owning this book for ~10 years! I originally bought it when I was interested in Greek and Roman Mythology, and had been told that this was THE book for all of the stories. I really enjoyed the annotations of where the myths were referenced in common poetry and literature. It gave me a few of those "ah hah!" moments when reading a story and making the connections.
I wasn't aware until about half way through the book that it also contained other stories/myths/legends from other parts of the world. While it didn't catch my interest at first, learning some of the stories about King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table, and Charlemagne were very entertaining. It felt a lot like reading Shakespeare at times when the characters spoke, so that made it a bit difficult to read.
Overall, probably the longest book I've read so far, and it was a bit of a struggle, but I'm very happy I did, and parts were fairly enjoyable to read!
I wasn't aware until about half way through the book that it also contained other stories/myths/legends from other parts of the world. While it didn't catch my interest at first, learning some of the stories about King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table, and Charlemagne were very entertaining. It felt a lot like reading Shakespeare at times when the characters spoke, so that made it a bit difficult to read.
Overall, probably the longest book I've read so far, and it was a bit of a struggle, but I'm very happy I did, and parts were fairly enjoyable to read!
cat_queen005's review against another edition
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
lilybear's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a sucker for mythology, especially Greek mythology. This book is a really great read to get the lay of the land. But I do strongly suggest researching your favorite tales cause bulfinch tends to give the g rated version.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
2.0
Five stars for the historical importance of Bulfinch's work; no stars for the accuracy (note the little "first published in 1855").
thatrandombookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
4.75
This book was so incredibly fun. I enjoyed reading about some of the myths I love, and learning slightly different versions of them. I will forever find mythology interesting. Yes it was dense, went through the stories fast and didn't linger on any of them, but I enjoyed that about them. However, because of this I understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I would recommend this book for people who love mythology. Over all, this was a very amazing book, and I will find use of the knowledge in this book.
alexiachantel's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully bound volume of mythology. I wish there had been more on the Norse and Celtic lore, but still a fun read.
abomine's review against another edition
2.75
While it's certainly an important work in the long and storied history of mythology retellings, it's too prudish for modern adults and too dry for modern children. Read it once for its historical importance in the genre, but don't bother re-reading.
the_dave_harmon's review against another edition
4.0
So this is a great alternative to actually reading the original stories of Arthur and Lancelot and Roland and Rogero and Rinaldo et al. And that's great because they're really really bad. But you can read this and have enough to be able to appreciate Don Quixote and Monty Python more fully. So four stars for not having to read all that crap.
As for the first half dealing with ancient mythology, a more modern writer is probably to be preferred.
As for the first half dealing with ancient mythology, a more modern writer is probably to be preferred.
thestorykeeper's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0