Mythos by Stephen Fry

Learn about all the Greek with a Stephen Fry twist in this sassy romp through macabre myths of Ancient Greece!

****/5

Did you enjoy Greek myths at school? Would you like to learn more?

Well then, I have the book for you!

Stephen Fry retells the classical myths with wit and modern humour, demystifying the ancient stories and making them more relatable and understandable for 21st century readers.

If you’re not familiar with Stephen Fry you should be. He’s an English actor, author, presenter, entertainer, British hero and gay icon and all-around good egg. He’s also got a healthy obsession with Greek myths, which led him to write a series on the myths of Greek Gods, monsters and heroes, starting with Mythos.

Mythos features the creation of the universe and the origin stories of the central characters of the pantheon, like Athena and Ares, as well as introducing some you might be unfamiliar with like Echo or Eros. Mythos doesn’t focus on one character for too long – which is only a benefit as Greek tales are famous for their unlikable characters - humans and heroes alike. The Greek gods were more human than divine in personalities; they were jealous and capricious, lusty and reckless, reflecting humankind's own weaknesses.

It’s easy to see Fry’s personal views and style within the book. Fans will be happy to note that his comedic style are present throughout.

Some criticisms

Greek myth is well-known to be full of rape and sexism. The former is a symptom of the way that the Greeks viewed their Gods - as creatures incapable of self-control, often examples of human's desires. The latter as natural part of culture at the time.

However, Fry's Mythos makes no attempt to examine either of these things in the myths. Though I suspect this is a personal choice by Fry to leave the book accessible rather than an accidental omission. This is not a scholarly work, and the retelling aims to make these ancient myths and stories more accessible to the general public. The stories are good digestible chunks which is important for a book of this size. Still, it's disappointing for people who were hoping for more an insight into the Greek psyche of the time.

I would have preferred some more family trees and maps of the region for a deeper understanding of the myths and how they were connected to each other. The Greek Pantheon was so interconnected and so incestuous that family trees throughout the book, rather than just at the beginning would have really helped me piece the stories together. But obviously this isn’t helpful if you are listening to the audiobook.

In summary

If you want to rediscover stories from the ancient world while not paying too much attention to historical analysis then this is the book for you. I found it fun and informative! If you like Stephen Fry and Greek myths, you are going to enjoy this one.

Not enough dragons though.

Top Tip:

For extra enjoyment, get the audiobook, read by Stephen Fry himself. He's proven himself a great narrator many times with the Harry Potter books and the Sherlock Holmes stories under his belt. Hearing Fry's retelling of these stories in voice is how this series is meant to be enjoyed. We’ll shortly be reviewing the next instalment of Fry’s Greek Myths series, called Heroes!