Six Myths of Our Time: Little Angels, Little Monsters, Beautiful Beasts, and More [Paperback]

Marina Warner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 1995

Is Jurassic Park a work of covert misogynist propaganda? Does romanticizing childhood lead to abusing children? What secret correspondence links Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to video games and Shakespeare's Caliban to Hannibal Lecter? in what ways do our culture's most hallowed legends inform the current debates over single mothers, the men's movement, and animal rights?

In these six dazzlingly intelligent and provocative essays, the distinguished English novelist and critic Marina Warner weaves classical mythology, pop culture, and today's headlines into a potent work of cultural criticism that is both unsettling and entertaining. Ranging from Medeato Thelma and Louise and from myths of cannibalism to the politics of rape, Six Myths of Our Time is at once a celebration of the enduring power of fable and a welcome antidote to its more virulent manifestations in our public life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Myths define enemies and aliens and in conjuring them up they say who we are and what we want, they tell stories to impose structure and order. Like fiction, they can tell the truth even while they're making it all up."

-- from Six Myths of Our Time, "Boys Will Be Boys: The Making of the Male"

From the Inside Flap

Is Jurassic Park a work of covert misogynist propaganda? Does romanticizing childhood lead to abusing children? What secret correspondence links Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to video games and Shakespeare's Caliban to Hannibal Lecter? in what ways do our culture's most hallowed legends inform the current debates over single mothers, the men's movement, and animal rights?

In these six dazzlingly intelligent and provocative essays, the distinguished English novelist and critic Marina Warner weaves classical mythology, pop culture, and today's headlines into a potent work of cultural criticism that is both unsettling and entertaining. Ranging from Medeato Thelma and Louise and from myths of cannibalism to the politics of rape, Six Myths of Our Time is at once a celebration of the enduring power of fable and a welcome antidote to its more virulent manifestations in our public life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books ed edition (January 31, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679759247
• ISBN-13: 978-0679759249
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.4 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly intelligent!, August 2, 1999

By 

Sharon Lamb (Vermont) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Six Myths of Our Time: Little Angels, Little Monsters, Beautiful Beasts, and More (Paperback)

These essays are some of the most interesting essays I've read in years. Warner integrates fairy tales, Greek myths, anthropology, and current cultural objects, events, and pasttimes to take on really interesting issues. Her essay "Boys will be Boys" is a must-read for gender classes; it discusses the lost narratives of masculinity, those that rewarded wit and cunning, and the current trend to show brute force prevailing. Those seeking to understand the Columbine shootings should have looked here first.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just begins to scratch the surface..., November 27, 2002

By 

Andi Miller (Caddo Mills, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Six Myths of Our Time: Little Angels, Little Monsters, Beautiful Beasts, and More (Paperback)

While I would've loved to LOVE this book...I just couldn't. Marina Warner has barely scraped the surface of all there is to be said about myth and legend in connection with societal thinking in this little book (originally six essays for BBC radio). Each chapter undertakes a different aspect of society from women, to cannibalism, to our idealization of childhood. In all honesty, each one could've been a book in itself if expanded and pondered over. Due to the fact that each essay was relatively short it felt as if Warner's points were rushed and ill-researched. While I would put this book above some others that connect modern examples with myth, I still think that Warner could've done a more in-depth job and added more focus to individual chapters. They each seem to skip around a bit and lack effective organization.

Don't get me wrong, there are a number of gems in the pages of this work. Warner draws interesting parallels between myth and folklore and how it continues to resurface in modern times whether it be film, writing, television, etc. She also cites numerous outside sources that sound fascinating and that inspired her work. In a way, this work is a jumping-off point into a throng of directions into cultural criticism.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction to Folkloric Archetypes, August 8, 2001

By 

Lauryn Angel-cann (Frisco, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Six Myths of Our Time: Little Angels, Little Monsters, Beautiful Beasts, and More (Paperback)

I loved Marina Warner's _Monuments and Maidens: The Allegory of the Female Form_, so when I saw this book, I had to have it. I have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed after _Monuments and Maidens_. I expected a more in-depth study. Instead, these six essays barely seem to scratch the surface of the topics. These essays are basically transcripts of six lectures Warner gave for BBC radio, which explains their brevity, but it's a shame she didn't expand upon them when she decided to publish them in print.

Still, there are some very interesting things here. I would definitely recommend it if you're interested in folklore and are just starting your studies. For the advanced student, the book just leaves you wanting more.