This review refers to the edition illustrated by Jesús Sotés.

Witty and intelligent and highly readable. Fry spends a good amount of time with the primordial deities, imbuing them with more personality than most authors bother with, and gives some of the less common variations on the more well-known myths.

Jesús Sotés's illustrations are lush and vibrant, but I don't believe they're quite right for this book's humorous tone. I think that Sotés's (truly beautiful) work would be perfect for a lavish children's collection of myths. ( )

more enjoyable than Heroes, largely because this adheres more to the conventionally linear narrative structure. also every time he does the old lady voice in the audiobook i cackle ( )

*3.5. Will definitely use this as one of my comfort audiobooks to listen to before bed. ( )

See full review, related videos, & more here: https://baileysbooks.home.blog/2019/06/09/mythos-by-stephen-fry/

Recommended: Yes!!!
For teachers, students, people who like to laugh, and those who want some explanations for why things are the way they are, via the antics and follies of humans and gods.

Thoughts:
Man, I took a risk when I started this book. When I went through [b:Circe|35959740|Circe|Madeline Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508879575s/35959740.jpg|53043399] and was so disappointed, I was left craving some good mythology and took a chance on this. I was unsure if a 300 page book of straight Greek myths would be able to hold my interest. I put my trust in Stephen Fry, however, and BOY DID IT EVER PAY OFF! I never imagined I’d be cackling over Hera and cheering on Prometheus while on the train to work, garnering stares. Fry has such a deep passion for the topic. He really did his research, and it shows. The clear tracking of the seemingly endless deities and humans they collide with is an impressive feat. Add to that his clever footnote additions for an extra joke, further context, or linguistic heritage (my personal favorites), and this was a delightful package of a book. I was able to read it straight through since there’s the story of the world building, but also the sections for each new person we meet. You’ll learn a lot reading this, but you’ll also have a lot of fun reading this and that’s critical!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this in exchange for a review. Love when it's easy to review because the book is SO GOOD!! :D ( )

“What Pandora did not know was that, when she shut the lid of the jar so hastily, she for ever imprisoned inside one last daughter of Nyx. One last little creature was left behind to beat its wings hopelessly in the jar for ever. Its name was ELPIS, Hope.” ( )