In Gods and Mortals: Ancient Greek Myths for Modern Readers, Sarah Iles Johnston explores Greek Mythology and adapts the tales for a more contemporary audience. She explains that she has retold the myths in a way that highlights the horrors from those who were raped or kidnapped by the gods and goddesses, and she writes them in a way that they are easily adapted to an oral performance. She also explains how these myths were a part of everyday life in ancient Greece, and that they were used to explain why the world was the way that it was.
This book is well-written and is very interesting to read. The tales are written very well, and it is easy to see how they could be adapted to an oral performance. Indeed, Johnston explains how she used to deliver oral performances of these tales at the beginning of her classes, and how that helped the students to understand the power that these myths had for those of the time. Johnston also does very well with explaining how the figures that we know today, such as Harry Potter, are still not ingrained in our society the way that these myths were to the ancient Greeks. I find that she has a wide variety of myths, and they are separated to distinguish between those of the gods and those of man. While I did find the book and the stories really enjoyable, I do wish there had been more analysis and history of the myths themselves. For example, Johnston explains that they were ingrained in Greek culture, but I would like to know if different myths were told at certain holidays or events. I really appreciate her highlighting the issues of rape that are sometimes overlooked with other retellings of the myths.
I found the book interesting and believe that it could have a place in academia. Students of the discipline might find this book interesting, since it does present the myths in a more modern way and uses them to highlight contemporary issues. It would be a very good resource to get students thinking about how myths and legends can be used as a way of explaining phenomena or to talk about difficult or controversial topics. Overall, I feel that this book would be most enjoyed by anyone who has a general interest in this topic but who does not want to seriously study it.
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[Review length: 403 words • Review posted on October 21, 2023]