Review by Choice Review
Johnston's retelling of Greek myths is lively, engaging, and well researched. She covers all of the expected stories and utilizes the works of many mythographers, ranging from the well-known to the obscure. The book is divided into five main sections: "The Gods," "Gods and Mortals," "Heroes," "The Trojan War," and "The Returns." Within these large sections are brief chapters of about three pages, each offering a self-contained story or part of a larger story. For the benefit of hose wishing to examine her sources, Johnston gives a short note at the end of the book for every one of these small chapters. Johnston's writing is modern and often humorous. She intentionally emphasizes some of the instances of sexual violence that are glossed over in the original Greek and Latin stories, but her narrative is never exaggerated or tasteless. This book invites comparison with Edith Hamilton's Mythology (1942), now some 80 years old. Some readers will prefer the more restrained and dignified work of Hamilton, but most will find Johnston's new book a more appealing alternative. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers. --Scott Edmund Goins, McNeese State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
