Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were: Creatures, Places, and People

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first came across this book by chance in my high school library. I'd read a number of books on mythology before, but I'd never seen anything like this. It became my favorite book in the library, and I'd come back to it repeatedly. Unfortunately, the volume was lost somehow, and I've been looking for a personal copy ever since. It is an amazing compilation of mythological creatures, and for it may lack as far as depth of description is concerned, it more than makes up for in the number of entries within.

This is a large, beautifully illustrated book, full of information on a wide-range of fantasy topics. Some authors of books on mythology and fantasy take on a snooty, lecturing tone, like they're imparting true occult wisdom upon the unenlightened masses. Page and Ingpen get a little mystical but I never had the impression that they really thought they had met pixies or been to Valhalla. My only problem with it is that the entries are not sourced. There is a nice bibliography in the back but there is no indication in the individual entries where the information came from. It would have been nice to be able to follow up on the entries that I found especially interesting.

I bought this book a couple of years ago in a moment of pure whim, and I've not regretted the purchase.

It isn't fully reliable when it comes to facts, and therefore should not be used for research, but if you discount that and approach it as entertainment or seed for story ideas, it is lovely. The illustratious and gorgeous and the way the book is arranged is clever and useful. The authors chose such a wide variety of topics and sources that the book is very good for expanding your knowledge base or finding new interests. I really appreciate that they did not focuse entirely on the Greeks as if theirs were the only mythology! I run across that too often.

However, for a more accurate take on mythology, I suggest something more serious like "World Mythology," edited by Roy Willis. This book is more useful in terms of facts, but the Encyclopedia of Things that Never Were is the one I read more often.

I am only 16 years old, but I am one of the biggest bibliophiles you'll ever meet. I love reading every kind of book and fantasy books are some of my favorites. I got this book as a present when I was 8 (hardcover version) and even still, every time I look at it, I find something new. As others have pointed out, there are some editing errors and some things are left out, but in my opinon, the sheer beauty and wealth of information in this books allows the reader to easily overlook it. This book can be used as a reference book, but I enjoy just thumbing through the pages and reading random entries (my favorite is "White Cat's Castle"). So, I entreat any lover of books, especially fantasy, to pick up this book and enjoy!

I love this book. I sleep next to it at night. I hold it close and coo words of endearment.
I found this in my school library when i was about seven or eight. (to avoid confusion from here, my school is K-12) from then on, every few months i'd check it out for a project or just fun (i was intensely into this stuff) about my freshman year they revamped the library and i couldnt find it (GASP!!) eventually i located it on the floor, open and in pain. I cried to the heavens WHY?! and promptly put it under my arm and walked away. I've had it for about 4 years in my bed between the sideboard and matress and every time i open it i find something new, interesting and inspirational.

only downfall is everything is written as exact so its doesnt include many variations of myths but in these situations its a good starting point anyways.

This book, although I only have the paperback edition, is one of my most treasured books. The illustrations are fantastic. It is easy to see how Robert Ingpen became the illustrator of more than 100 books. There is a definite transcendental quality to each and every picture. Often, I will flip through the book at night before going to sleep and allow the pictures to create stories in my mind--a peaceful way to fall asleep.
Like several other reviewers, I too have found some of the information in the book to be debatable if not totally inaccurate. It is well written from an entertainment perspective and does not read at all like an encyclopedia. However, the misinformation found in several entries leads one to question ALL of the information. I find that to be rather distracting. The title of the book also distracts one from delving too deeply and getting too lost in the fantasy by suggesting that all contained here are, "Things That Never Were."

I accidentally stole this book from my college library, when I put it in my bag and forgot it was there until I got home (how I got it through the electronic sensors is an unsolved mystery). Once I realized the mistake though, I couldn't bring myself to return it. It is true that, as other reviewers have pointed out, this book is anything but comprehensive, and is certainly not an academic or reference work. However, it is the most beautiful, entertaining book on mythology I've yet seen, and will probably inspire many who read it to track down some of those more scholarly references. Apart from the fanciful illustrations, I found the democratic scope of the work particularly commendable- the authors pull many of their entries from the usual sources, such as the folklore of the British Isles and Egyptian mythology, but they also look to more unusual inspiration such as contemporary American hobo mythology. I also like how the conceit of the book- to discuss these "things that never were" as if they really existed- is applied not only to subjects culled from ancient mythology, which presumably were at some point viewed more or less as factual, but also to those created whole-cloth for relatively recent works of literature. Given that the focus of the book is so free-ranging, it is inevitable that there are some weird omissions and emphases- no separate entries for the bulk of the Greek pantheon, but page after page of detailed notes on locations featured only in Gulliver's Travels, for example- but this same quality means that even the most seasoned mythology afficionado is likely to find something new or surprising here. A truly entertaining work.

I love this book. After many years and many other books and magazines, I still go back to this book for the facts. It covers such a broad spectrum of creatures, myths, fairytales, and other fantasies. It also has some very good artwork.

This book's unrealized potential is frustrating. The book calls itself "the complete book of fantasy." Unfortunately, the book is not in the least comprehensive. For example, the god Hephaestus is given a treatment in the text but Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, nor Hades get individual treatments. All of these are far "greater" in the hierarchy of Greek mythology than Hephaestus and deserve a treatment in text (especially considering that they appear in other entries of the text). It is also important to note that a grave editorial error has allowed several instances of mis-alphabetization to occur. On one page the entries occur AS, AQ, AR and on another set of pages occur BE, BH, BR, BO, BO, BL, BL, BO. The incorrect order would cause a great deal of frustration to the reader looking for a specific entry. The illustrations are magnificent and the material that is included is informative and entertaining. With some editing, this book has potential. As it is currently, the book is a beautiful bird that is pleasing to the eye, but falls short of the expected breathtaking song. It is unfortunate because the beauty of the book makes the errors that much more obvious and distracting.

I picked up this book at the public library to do some research on faeries. It was one of the best books I found for the purpose. I was sorry when I had to return it to the library and now I'm trying to get my own copy.