Greek Myths
Author:
Olivia Coolidge
Illustrator:
Edouard Sandoz
Publication:
1949 by Houghton Mifflin Company
Genre:
Adventure, Fiction, Folk Tales, Mythology
Pages:
244
Current state:
This book has been evaluated and information added. It has been read but content considerations may not be complete.
Book Guide
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This handsome volume is a truly unusual collection of Greek myths, based on the original sources. It is not just a re-telling of the stories, but a new and vital approach to material which has thrilled readers for hundreds of years.
Under Mrs. Coolidge's skillful pen the landscape of early Greece, the great heroes, simple country folk, and the immortal visitors from Olympus, take on true vigor and freshness. The best-known stories are conveniently arranged in sections according to type and subject. The section Stories of the Gods contains the legends of Phaethon and Apollo, the trickery of Hermes, and Athene's vengeance on Arachne. The full legends of Theseus and the Labors of Heracles appear under Great Heroes, and the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, Pygmalion and Galatea, Pandora, Atlanta, and Orpheus are found in other sections.
Edouard Sandoz has drawn twelve striking full-page illustrations and numerous borders and decorations, which, together with the remarkable text, make this a book to own and treasure.
From the dust jacket
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Reviews
Legends of the North & Greek Myths
Reviewed by Edward Garboczi
Olivia Coolidge does an excellent job in presenting a selection of these Greek and Norse mythological stories in clear prose, primarily aimed at middle school readers but also good for high school readers. She was an American writer who was born in England, and lived to the age of 98. She wrote many books bringing ancient history and mythology to an audience of modern children and young adults. The two books mentioned in this review are a very good introduction to these two mythologies. If your child reads Greek Myths carefully, he or she should be able to find where the words Europe, music, titanic, atlas, psychology, and chronology originate in Greek mythology and discover even more connections to modern Western culture. Writing essays about these connections would be a great way to incorporate writing skills into cultural literacy. Reading Legends of the North will do the same for the Norse mythologies and their connection to our modern world – besides being great fun to read.
Greek Myths
This is a rather baffling book to report, because of certain inconsistencies in its presentation of the familiar Greek myths. Inconsistencies, that is, of direction to the audience, which-for mythology- one would usually indicate about 8 to 11 years of age....
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