Customer Reviews

Wood Nymph Seeks Centaur: A Mythological Dating Guide

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

 

 

maybe it's because i live in a small town and the amount of young people with a lot of money is different here, but i had a lot of trouble relating this book to people i know... there were some people who jumped out at me immediately, such as my ex-boyfriend (classic werewolf!) but i couldn't find my boyfriend in here, and although there were a couple types that seemed like me, none of her types or mixed types felt completely right to me. the quizzes weren't much help, since they're full of references to stuff that's either too expensive or too city oriented to touch my current life, stuff that doesn't translate well.

the thing that bothered me most was how many descriptions of types, especially men, who seem un-dateable for most people, where the author basically says they may grow as a person later. i'm not talking "you and this person probably won't work out because you're so different." i'm talking "this male-type is pretty much only capable of hurting women until he matures and becomes a different type." while i do know some people who're like that, my experience has always been that they're not a majority.

it also bugs me how sex-negative this book comes off, which is weird, because most of block's work doesn't read that way. most of the male types either seem to read "bad in bed, but really nice" or "good in bed, likes sex, is a jerk." maybe i'm naive, but i've always believed that, while there are jerks out there who're good at sex because they practice, people who genuinely want to make the people they love happy and enjoy being with them are better in bed... because they listen to what you like. because they'll be happy to kiss you for hours. so that just bothered me.

i wouldn't say it's a waste of money, but i was really looking forward to a dating book by the person who writes the most wonderful love stories i've ever read, and this kind of fell flat for me.

The dating forest can seem at times a magical place filled with happiness and love, and at other times a place to be feared, where hearts are stolen or left broken. It is not always easy to find your way, especially when the scenery keeps changing. Just who are all these creatures roaming the forests of love and heartbreak? For that matter, what type of creature am I that I dare to enter such a perilous yet hopeful place?

In this forest the first thing you must do is not to discover what creatures are about you, but what creature are you. If you can first see who you are, then you can see who you want, and who you want to avoid. There are many dangers; some more easily avoided then others as attraction can easily lead you down a stray path. But if the right path can be found, one that leads to your own handsome prince, or beautiful princess, then there is no reason why one cannot live happily ever after.

Wood Nymph Seeks Centaur is an eerily accurate, at least in my case, guide to love, life and friendships. This is no ordinary story but a cautionary guide filled with all the wisdom and enchantment that comes with blending myths, fairy tales and astrology. If you ever find yourself lost in these woods, and you will if you haven't already, then this invaluable book will be able to assist you, if not entertain you, as you make your way blindly through this world.

I am happily paired, but purchased this book because I am a huge fan of Block's. I always found it fun to read astrology books, but was never all that into it. This book really captures a lot that I felt was missing in astrology. The "types" are very very very well done, and as another reviewer said, you will start to "see" them all around you immediately! I think this may be because astrology forces you into one category whereas Block takes into consideration the make-up of the whole individual, including physicality, drive, sexual appetite, passions, style, and everything else you may find important when you're trying to find your match! There is even a section for mixed types and pairings of the same sex!
Not only do I think this book will help my writing (it is so imaginative and I think that the "types" will help me to round out my characters,) but I think I discovered why I crave attention so much. My mother is clearly a Banshee, and yes, her marriage to my "Hob" father is definitely a strange match! Block hits it on the nose every time. I completely recommend this book!
Another plus: the awesomely beautiful illustrations by Fumi Nakamura!

If you love mythological creatures, if you enjoy categorizing people, if you always ask people what their astrological sign is upon first meeting them, you will love this book.

In A Mythological Dating Guide: Wood Nymph Seeks Centaur, acclaimed author Francesca Lia Block describes people's dating personalities in terms of creatures lifted straight from fairy tales and popular mythology with uncanny accuracy. There are twenty four total categories, twelve for males and twelve for females. Some people will inevitably not fall into any particular category but instead be combinations. Short quizzes at the beginning of the book will help people determine whether they are a wood nymph, satyr, werewolf or brownie among other whimsical choices.

I categorized myself (an Urban Elf and Wood Nymph combo known as an Urban Elf Nymph) and my friends (a Fairy, a Mermaid and a Hobby, short for Hobgoblin) right away.

Block offers detailed descriptions of each type and how they match up with the other types (she includes same-sex matches). She is also very uninhibited about sharing her personal experiences dating some of the male types, which gives the book a real-life edge.

All in all, a great guide to read over and over again.

I'm a fan of FLB's writing and was really looking forward to her flowery fantastical take on the dating world, but overall I found this book pretty lacking. As written in other reviews, the different archetypes are not very relatable and the descriptions she gives for each are so brief! I was hoping for something a little more detailed and poetic...

This was so much fun to read and I find myself asking everyone I know to read the descriptions and find out what "creature" they are so that I can have people to talk about it with!

A playfully quick read that is as clever and witty as can be for a piece that generalizes and categorizes personalities types as good as some horoscope book. Though, there is not much depth.

Not sure how it stands up as a dating guide, but definitely will get your wheels turning if you're looking for some possible character traits to begin to mold a character or two.

As an adult, I wonder where Block got most of her information from or if she just created it herself. But my daughter, she uses the text as a launch bored for some really zany crayola love pictures.

I bought this book on a whim. Having just left a four year relationship behind, I felt intrigued by looking at dating from a mythological POV. I was completely delighted and surprised after identifying myself as a fairy and my ex as a Satyr; I was able to see how are match lasted but was ultimately not meant for happily ever after. My Satyr was a scorpio and Block had even managed to ID this! Astrology and mythology combined!

This is a fun, light read and oh-so enjoyable to re-read after entering the dating world again. I was even able to ID my family members and some of their right/wrong relationship pairs.

I hope Ms. Block writes another similar sequel!

Let me start off by saying that Francesca Lia Block has been a favorite author of mine for the past decade and, being a personality-typing junkie, I was thrilled when I heard she was coming up with her own system. How intriguing! I immediately began typing the people in my life: one sister is a total Urban Elf, another sister and my mother are Tesses (short for "giantesses"), another sister a Brownie, my father a Hob (short for Hobgoblin). I, on the other hand, was not so cleanly defined--a decent amount of Wood Nymph with heavy tendencies from almost every other type.

Of course, personality typing is not a science, and Francesca does not pretend that this system is. However, she does base her research for the "match-making" part of the book on her friends' relationships and her own past experiences with dating different "creatures." Not perfect, but not without some merit.

If you're a fan of either personality typing or of Block's other works (or in my case, both), you should definitely check out this book. This is a unique take on match-making that also includes same-sex couples and allows for fluidity between the genders as well. This inclusiveness is a welcome touch to a very intriguing book. You'll start finding Woodsmen, Pixies, Garden Elves, and other "creatures" all around you.