Books to Read: Mythology

“The true University of these days is a Collection of Books.”
— Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), The Hero as a Man of Letters

Mythology Books: the ancient gods & goddesses are alive and within us...
	*Joseph Campbell, Power of Myth, Illustrated Ed. (1988), Doubleday, ISBN: 0385247745*— Based on a six-part PBS television series hosted by Bill Moyers, this classic is especially compelling because of its engaging question-and-answer format, creating an easy, conversational approach to complicated and esoteric topics. Joseph Campbell, the world's foremost authority on mythology, and Bill Moyers, one of most distinguished journalists, offer a brilliant combination of wisdom and wit. Campbell explains to Moyers how myths are our ties to the past, and how they help us understand ourselves and our world. Topics from modern marriage to virgin births, from Jesus to John Lennon, and handsomely illustrated with over one hundred fascinating photographs. Most impressive is Campbell's encyclopedic knowledge of myths, demonstrated in his ability to recall the details and archetypes of almost any story, from any point and history, and translate it into a lesson for spiritual living in the here and now. Avg. Review (13):
	*Carl Kerenyi, Gods of the Greeks, (reissue 1980), W.W. Norton, ISBN: 0500270481*— Drawing on a wealth of sources, from Hesiod to Pausanias and from the Orphic Hymns to Proclus, Professor Kerényi provides a clear and scholarly exposition of all the most important Greek myths. The lively and highly readable narrative is complemented by an appendix of detailed references to all the original texts and a fine selection of illusrations taken from vase paintings. The poet Stephen Spender wrote “it most emphatically must be the book that many have long beeen waiting for...” The 15 chapters include Beginning of Things; Titans; Moirai, Hekate and Pre-Olympian Deities; Aphrodite; The Great Mother; Zeus and his Spouses; Metis and Pallas Athene; Leto, Apollon and Artemis; Hera, Ares and Hephaistos; Maia, Hermes, Pan and the Nymphs; Poseidon and his Wives; Sun, Moon and their Family; Prometheus and the Human Race; Hades and Persephone; Dionysos and his Female Companions.
	*Robert Graves, The Greek Myths* (reprint 1993), Penguin USA, ISBN: 0140171991*— In a work that has become a classic reference book for both the serious scholar and the casual inquirer, Graves retells the adventures of the important gods and heroes worshipped by the ancient Greeks. Each entry provides a full commentary which examines problems of interpretation in both historical and anthropological terms, and in light of contemporary research. Homer's epics The Iliad* and The Odyssey are scholarly summarized. Graves adds his novelist's narration and poet's touch to the creation myths, the Olympian legends, and the stories of Theseus, Oedipus, Heracles, the Argonauts, and the Trojan War. In the deft hands of this classics scholar, the ancient tales become alive and relevant to our modern civilization. Read the reviews of three other customers who bought this book at Amazon.com— they all gave it !