Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths [Paperback]

Eva M. Thury (Author), Margaret K. Devinney (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195332946 | ISBN-13: 978-0195332940 | Publication Date: January 21, 2009 | Edition: 2

The only complete world mythology textbook available, Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths, Second Edition, integrates original texts with explanations, interpretations, theory, and numerous pedagogical aids to introduce students to a wide range of myths from various critical perspectives. Featuring texts from sources around the world, it includes readings from Greek and Roman classics (by Homer, Hesiod, Ovid, and other writers); Nordic mythology (by Snorri Sturluson); Hindu culture (The Ramayana); Chinese mythology (N� Kwa; new to this edition) and from such ancient works as The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Bible, and the Mesopotamian story of Enuma Elish (new to this edition). Selections from Native-American sources and folktales and stories from Africa, Germany, and the United States are also included. In addition, authors Eva Thury and Margaret Devinney draw comparisons between classical myths and such contemporary cultural phenomena as The X Files, Star Trek, Mother Goose, and, new to this edition, Harry Potter, Stagecoach, and Firefly. They also incorporate readings by Carl Jung, Claude Levi-Strauss, Victor Turner, and other scholars who consider mythic material from different analytical perspectives. Finally, traditional works by writers like John Milton and John Keats as well as those by contemporary authors like Anne Sexton, John Updike, Angela Carter, and James Joyce are presented as examples of literary texts with mythological roots.

Introduction to Mythology uses an innovative pedagogical structure to help students unravel the complex web of literary allusions often found in mythological texts:

Extensive marginal notes provide cross-references and explanations of terms and culture-specific concepts
A glossary of deities and suggested readings for each chapter offer students additional resources
An improved and refined art program features more than 200 illustrations, photographs, and maps
An illustrated timeline places the readings in relation to each other and to historical and cultural events and artifacts
A Student's Website contains chapter objectives and summaries, key terms, study questions, self-tests, and off-site links of interest
An Instructor's Manual includes key terms, pedagogical suggestions, study questions and projects, and sample objective test questions for each chapter

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eva M. Thury is at Drexel University. Margaret K. Devinney is at Temple University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (January 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195332946
• ISBN-13: 978-0195332940
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 13, 2006

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Ripley6 (Brattleboro, Vermont) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths (Paperback)

The myths (fascinating) are clearly presented, with bold-face type stressing important points, but the reading is interrupted by commentaries in the margins. The introductory remarks are often written in such convoluted style that they are more confusing than illuminating. Tiny, unclear photos of related artworks are next to worthless.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Textbook that doesn't feel like one., February 16, 2007

By 

Brandon Wells (FL, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths (Paperback)

This text is interesting in that it reads more like an anthology than a textbook. It is mostly composed of selections from the sourcetexts of the various myths, and when the authors do write their own material about the selections and such, their chapters feel more like news articles. This causes reading the book to feel more like reading a book for enjoyment than for being taught. I think this is a very positive thing, since the book feels less pedagogue-ish and yet is still quite informative. The only thing I see missing is family trees of the divine lineages, which would be most useful for studying Norse mythology, to use the most prominent example.

I also found it unfortunate that the sections on Norse Myth use Sturluson's Prose Edda for the source text rather than the Poetic Edda, the more legitimate source. Apparently they did this to show how mythic texts rationalize their contents. In Sturluson's case, he decided to claim that the ancient Icelandic people simply forgot the Christian faith over time, even though the Germanic religion was practiced all over northern Europe for centuries before Christianity ever existed. Gotta love that medieval scholarship.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary = Banal, January 2, 2011

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ndib (Arizona) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths (Paperback)

I was interested in taking a course using this textbook. I ordered the book. I returned the book. I am not taking the course.

The authors may be excellent organizers. The book has plenty of structure with this indentation of one type related to that indentation of another type. The problem is the prose. Like Chinese food served in Montana, the prose lack zest. Classical mythology, my main interest, is full of passion; the authors have sucked the passion out of the stories.

And one other thing, Star Wars is not myth in any sense that makes myth interesting.