Customer Reviews

Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I may be biased having had Dr. Devinney for a Prof a few times in the past, but this book is so well organized and clear that I recommend it to anyone. I was espically impressed with the structure!

For starters, I did not receive this book on time. While waiting an addition 2 weeks for the book, I was faced with the unfortunate task of paying full price for a new book in the student book store on campus. When I contacted the seller and told them that I had sent it back with the intent of getting a refund, they claimed to have never received the book and therefore denied me the money. This was the worst experience with an Amazon seller I have ever had.

We found that the book was a little too used, with a lot of highlights and hand written notes...but the price was good