Review: A Detailed Account of Ancient Greco-Roman Mythology
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2013
In this book, E.M. Berens provides an excellent account of the mythological deities and stories from Ancient Greek and Roman mythology (much more the former than the latter), as well as a superb comparative analysis of the mythologies of the two civilizations. The insight he brings through the details he gives is not to be underestimated. Over 160 Notes & Highlights have been made by me during the course of my reading this novel, much of which were either marks on profound excerpts I found striking or notes on variations in the myths told in the book. Regarding the latter, Berens admittedly tells a single, central version of each myth and seldom digresses to mention the other variations that have become so popular in the tales. Despite this, Berens weaves a solid story for each myth and accurately recounts the best-known myths of each immortal and hero.Being someone who has read multiple versions of each tale in numerous books, I expected to grow bored quite swiftly with the work; however, I soon found myself intrigued and my interest piqued at the information he provides. That being said, I recommend to anyone who enjoys Greco-Roman mythology this book regardless of whether he or she is already familiar with the age-old tales. Lastly, the only reason for my four-star rating instead of higher is because the format of this literary piece, being the public domain book that it is, was distracting and the images (which I believe was a part of the original book) were disappointingly absent. Other than those minor complaints, however, this is definitely a book worthy of serious consideration and perusal.