Review: Mythos by Stephen Fry

You want to read this book. This way, you’ll be regaled by tales of the gods, through the creation of the world (over, under, and terra firma). You’ll get that pesky who’s your daddy stuff down pat (hint: it’s nearly always Zeus), get the chronology of the three orders of gods right (note: Aphrodite is the oldest of the Olympians) and have a damn good time doing it. You’ll struggle not to read everything in Stephen Fry’s voice, but let’s be honest, that’s not at all a bad thing. 

Intricate, detailed, and humourous, these are the Greek myths as you've never seen them before.

Mythos was such a great adventure into the many possible explanations of life, the universe and everything, and yet it was strangely comforting. Here, you learn one version of how man came to be, through being sculpted in clay and brought to life, only to have their creator suffer, horrors unleashed by the first human female, and later an almighty flood which aimed to wipe us all out entirely. In addition, there’s the constant theme of Zeus’ lusty and often hilarious conquests. Mythos has a little bit of everything, literally. The correlation with many current religious beliefs inspires a sense of pride in humanity’s power to tell tales, especially the seemingly unbelievable great ones.

If you’ve ever been a fan of Stephen Fry, you already know that he gives a sassy, intellectual feel to anything he discusses. No different here. Mythos is an arresting read, filled with witty jokes, banter, and surprisingly honest yet thorough footnotes. Fry has an ability to make ancient history feel contemporary, exciting and sexy. Bet you never thought you’d read a sentence like that, eh? The eternal applicability and relatability of Greek myths is perhaps what makes them stand the test of time, seemingly always relevant, with worthwhile moral stories, to boot. Yet Fry’s take on these well-known myths goes a step further; you want to continue reading. If only classes taught about Zeus and his many lusty adventures from a source as delightful as this book. In case I am being too subtle, I call for my old Classics teacher at varisty and his brethren to include this book in their syllabus.

I dare you not to love all things (Greek) mythological after reading this.

Mythos by Stephen Fry is published by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House.