Book Review: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry

This was the perfect book to read over a very sunny and hot Bank Holiday.

Covering the dawn of the Gods, through the golden and silver ages, this discusses a wide range of stories told in the usual Fry wit. It’s incredibly informative and well planned out, told in a more structured chronological order than I’m normally use to with these stories. And I’ve read a lot of these stories. There’s nothing new here if you’ve delved into Greek mythology, but I enjoyed Fry's take on them - and I really liked the little addendums of information littered throughout that enhanced my knowledge of the Greeks and their language and lore.

My favourite stories have always been those about hubris, or pride, and here we get a whole chapter dedicated to the various ways the Gods have punished those mere mortals who dare to challenge them, such as Arachne the great weaver and Marsyas the ill fated satyr. The stories are told in such a laid back way, that it’s easy for those familiar, and those who are new to the stories, to equally enjoy them. The Gods are described in such a colourful, fun way, that their distinct personalities leap from the pages and allowed me to fall in love with them all over again.

If anything, this lacked the luscious tales of the later period dedicated to the great heroes of Odysseus, Perseus, Jason etc. I hope that Fry writes another volume to include these at some point because they for me really embody the overall epic feel of the Greek stories. However, this certainly has its place amongst other retellings.

 - 4 stars