Read The Greek Way Edith Hamilton Books
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Edith Hamilton buoyantly captures the spirit and achievements of the Greek civilization for our modern world.
In The Greek Way, Edith Hamilton captures with "Homeric power and simplicity" (New York Times) the spirit of the golden age of Greece in the fifth century BC, the time of its highest achievements. She explores the Greek aesthetics of sculpture and writing and the lack of ornamentation in both. She examines the works of Homer, Pindar, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Euripides, among others; the philosophy of Socrates and Plato’s role in preserving it; the historical accounts by Herodotus and Thucydides on the Greek wars with Persia and Sparta and by Xenophon on civilized living.
Read The Greek Way Edith Hamilton Books
"I have to say, I'm disappointed I didn't discover Edith Hamilton sooner. I loved every moment of this book. It focuses mainly on Greek mythology, although there is a brief section on Norse mythology at the end. I appreciate that she lists her sources for each story at the beginning of the chapter and her telling of the these myths are easily read, but not over simplified and the result is highly enjoyable."
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The Greek Way Edith Hamilton Books Reviews :
The Greek Way Edith Hamilton Books Reviews
- Edith Hamilton's MYTHOLOGY, originally published in 1942, is one of two classic mythological summaries most readily available to us today. The other (and older of the two) is by Thomas Bulfinch; it was published in the early 19th century and is commonly called BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY (a merger of three works originally published separately as THE AGE OF FABLE, THE AGE OF CHIVALRY, and LEGENDS OF CHARLEMAGNE). Both authors present a summary overview of myths once widely taught but now generally neglected. Bulfinch is much more extensive and includes numerous legends not covered by Hamilton, but the coverage by both of the Greek and Roman myths (for which the two authors are most famous) makes for particularly interesting comparison. Some prefer Hamilton's treatment; others prefer Bulfinch's. I personally prefer Hamilton's consistent use of distinct Greek and Roman names rather than Bulfinch's frequent and occasionally confusing use of Roman names to identify Greek entities. But I generally enjoy Bulfinch's slightly old-fashioned style of storytelling over Hamilton's (though, all things considered, hers is quite fine). Hamilton's work is still under copyright, and it is published only by Little, Brown. Thus, it is more expensive than Bulfinch's which, being in the public domain, is easily obtainable online for free or in very inexpensive editions by numerous ebook publishers.
Those who may own older paperback or hardcovered editions of Hamilton's work will discover the 2012 ebook replaces the magnificent artwork of Steele Savage with somewhat less majestic illustrations by Chris Wormell (though the list of illustration topics remains the same). The text remains unaltered, and the formatting is exquisite. There is an active TOC (here at the very end), but (disappointingly) no index in the ebook version. Overall, it is a very handsome ebook and a delight to read.
It is hard to imagine retelling the great myths in a manner more concisely informative than rendered here by Hamilton. Critical reviewers who claim she is too difficult or too dry are certainly entitled to their opinions, but given the nature of the material and the purpose of this book, I would respectfully disagree with them. There is, of course, no substitute for reading the full-length originals from which these great tales have been culled and summarized, but this is by far a much more convenient way to initially encounter them; that is why this book has been (or, at least, once was) heavily used in public schools in conjunction with teaching these timeless stories.
Edith Hamilton's MYTHOLOGY belongs in the personal library of every literate person as an introduction to, summary of, and/or reminder of these Greek, Roman, and Norse myths. But for added insights and additional myths, I would encourage readers of it to also obtain and read BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY. - I have to say, I'm disappointed I didn't discover Edith Hamilton sooner. I loved every moment of this book. It focuses mainly on Greek mythology, although there is a brief section on Norse mythology at the end. I appreciate that she lists her sources for each story at the beginning of the chapter and her telling of the these myths are easily read, but not over simplified and the result is highly enjoyable.
- In grammar school I studied Greek mythology, and was mesmerized by the Odyssey and the Iliad. Soon other subjects came along that stole my attention. Fast-forward fifty years and I found myself curious to see if my old fascination and excitement about Greek mythology could be rekindled, and I once again I started slowly and tucked into Edith Hamilton's Mythology. I found this book to be as alive and vibrant as I remembered, but I'm thrilled to say that as an adult I appreciate it even more. It's mind-boggling that having been published in 1942, this is still one of the best interpretations around. One thing I hadn't remembered is that Ms. Hamilton's Mythology includes sections on Roman and Norse stories; I had no interest in them when I was younger and only middling interest in them now, but they're a happy find. This book stokes the imagination and invites further study of the subject. I bought the ebook and audiobook versions; both are outstanding. I wish I could give this more than 5 stars!
- This 75th Anniversary Edition does not disappoint. My introduction to mythology happened more than 50 years ago when my librarian Aunt Louise gave me The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends by Anne Terry White and Alice and Martin Provensen (a classic itself). I moved on to an early 60s edition of Edith Hamilton's Mythology, entranced with the family trees of the gods and using her description of the Underworld to make a model when I took Latin. Also became a fan of the D'Aulaires' mythology books. My interest and background in mythology have served me well as an English major, grad student, parent, school librarian, and lifelong heavy reader. Now retired, I'm taking a class at our Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at North Carolina State University on mythology. I decided I needed to upgrade my old favorite. The 75th Anniversary edition is beautifully designed, a pleasure to read and hold. Illustrations include plates, page drawings, design motifs, and borders. Anyone with a longstanding or brand-new interest in Greek mythology will be dazzled. Highly recommended.
- Classic text that was required reading in High School. Loved it then, but sadly I plastered my paperback with the names of girls I was dating at the time. The version is perfect - different illustrations than the book (I also have the hardcover) but just as good. Hamilton's prose style is borderline "quaint" but adds a nice personal touch. The lack of commas in places may require a couple reads of some sentences. Even so I highly recommend Mythology as it covers both Greek, Roman, along with teaser Norse mythology.
- I have always loved Greek and Roman mythology, and have bought so many different books over the years trying to find a comprehensive, easy to read, well formatted version of the myths. This is by far the best collection that I have found yet. All previous collections have left me feeling disappointed. This is not a strict translation of the myths, but is a retelling of them in easy to read modern language. This collection is easy to read, covers all of the majors Greek and Roman myths, and is very logically laid out. I highly recommend.
