The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Penguin Dictionary) [Mass Market Paperback]

Pierre Grimal (Author), Stephen Kershaw (Editor), A. R. Maxwell-Hyslop (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0140512357 | ISBN-13: 978-0140512359

An outstanding distillation of Grimal's classic reference, this extensively cross-referenced work offers clear and concise entries that capture the essence of Greek and Roman mythology.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

About the Author

Pierre Grimal was born in Paris in 1912. He was a teacher at the Lycees de Rennes and then Senior Lecturer at Caen University. His most recent post was as Professor at Sorbonne University until 1982. He has edited and translated many books on Greek and Latin Literature and is considered the most prominent specialist on Ancient Rome.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140512357
• ISBN-13: 978-0140512359
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Mythology & Folklore

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than other dictionaries of Classical Mythology, April 13, 2000

By 

SEBASTIANVS "libra64" (TOKYO Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Penguin Dictionary) (Mass Market Paperback)

I think P. Grimal's dictionary(hardcovered one) is the best among many encyclopedias or dictionaries of Greek and Roman Mythology . But I can not say this translation is the best , because there are many mistakes and some omitted entries. If you can read French , I recommend to read the original "DICTIONNAIRE DE LA MYTHOLOGIE GREQUE ET ROMAINE" written by P. Grimal himself. Although English-version has these weak points, as far as I know , only this book and William Smith's old "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography & Mythology" are worth to read with Greek alphabet spelling of proper noun et sourses of Classical texts.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accessible, March 2, 2006

By 

S. Mann (Carlisle, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Penguin Dictionary) (Mass Market Paperback)

This dictionary on Classical Mythology, i.e. Greek and Roman, is incredibly accessible to any level of reader. The information is presented clearly with just enough detail for clarity. A reader does not need to be well versed on a given character or story to gain great insight from this text.

The only reason give this book 4 stars is not because of the material presented, but the materials used to produce the book. Like most books of this type, they are value priced. As a result, the materials can be sub-par. In the copy that I have, the pages are overly thin and the print bled through in some places.