“In the beginning, there was Chaos…” and Fry will bring some order into it. Well, at least when it comes to Greek Mythology. The British comedian and actor love the old gods so much that he wanted to share his knowledge with his audience. While you may know some of the people mentioned and some of the legends may not be new to you, in Mythos and Heroes, Stephen Fry reintroduces you to the old gods and their adventures in a funny easier way.
Mythos is about the genesis. Erebus and Nyx came to life, darkness and night, who created Hemera and Aether, day and light and Erebus, all by himself, created Gaia and Tartarus, earth and beneath the earth. Gaia, or mother earth, gave birth to Pontus and Ouranos. The latter becomes the father of her children, which are called the Titans. Their son, Kronos, defeats his father and with his sister-wife, Rhea, they create the gods we know the best, the Olympians who ruled by Zeus.
The second half of the book will give you an overview of what Fry calls “Toys of Zeus”. We follow Prometheus on his quest and witness firsthand what Pandora let out of her box, how Persephone got picked by Hades, and what Zeus liked to do with mortals.
“Zeus sits on his throne. He rules the sky and the world. His sister-wife Hera rules him. […] The Golden Age has become an Age of Heroes.”
Heroes on the other hand retells the dramatic and well-known tales of the heroic men and women such as Perseus, Heracles, Jason, Atlanta, and Theseus.
I was always fascinated by Greek mythology. You could say, I was obsessed with it as a teenager and I would have loved to get these books back then and bury my nose into it for hours, taking notes, and trying to make a map of my own.
Fry has made this twisted family and their tales understandable and clear with a little narrating of his own. If you may need it for school or want to educate yourself, these two books will definitely give you the best entry into a magnificent world.
Mythos and Heroes are available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney.
They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry’s hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies.
You’ll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia’s revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis.
Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry’s Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age – in all their rich and deeply human relevance.
