Mythology: A Visual Encyclopedia
Jo Forty
Barnes & Noble Books
Nonfiction, Mythology
***
DESCRIPTION: Every human culture has some form of mythology, some framework to explain the world around them and their own places in it. Even today, myth has a powerful hold on our collective psyche. This book contains many illustrations and many entries on the prominent figures from myths around the world.
REVIEW: Yes, it was in the bargain section. No, I wouldn't have bought it otherwise. As it stands, I'm glad I didn't pay any more than I did for it. The pictures are very nice, but not always explained in any coherent context. The author necessarily picks and chooses just what to include in this book - it would be impossible to include every figure or event from every myth of every culture - but I wasn't sure Forty picked the right ones. This probably should've been a multi-book series, so more attention could have been focused on each area of the world. At the start of each section are long descriptions of that region of the world, much of which put me to sleep but some of which was interesting. Overall, that was my reaction to the whole book: some interesting bits, but several sleep-inducing patches. The formatting was poor, with many misplaced lines, incomplete or run-on sentences, and other errors that simple proofreading should've caught. All in all, it works mainly as a visual archive and only secondarily as a reference on mythology.
You might also enjoy:
The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell, Nonfiction - An examination of universal mythic themes)
Big Book of Dragons, Monsters, and Other Mythical Creatures (Ernst and Johanna Lehner, Art - Images of mythical beasts and beings)
The Book of Fabulous Beasts (Joseph Nigg, Nonfiction - Classical origins and evolution of fabulous animals)
Eyewitness Books: Mythology (Neil Philip, YA Nonfiction - Myths from around the world described)
Eyewitness: Mythology (Phillip Wilkinson, YA Nonfiction - A visual guide to world mythology)
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