Review of The Meaning of Myth

[Ria710]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Meaning of Myth" by Neel Burton.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Have you ever wondered what a myth really is? What is the history behind it? And how does it differ from things like fairy tales, legends, and science? The Meaning of Myth: With 12 Greek Myths Retold and Interpreted by a Psychiatrist by Neel Burton aims to explore these questions.

The book itself is split into two sections, with section one describing the similarities and differences of myth against another topic, e.g., legends. The second half of the book consists of the author deconstructing 12 myths and trying to make sense of them in today’s world.

What I liked about the book was how detailed it was. The author covered every question you could have about myths. I like that the first half of the book was easy to read and understand. I found that all 24 chapters in the book flowed really well. What made the book more enjoyable to read were the images throughout the text. I felt like the images make the book come to life and it really helps to visualise the stories being described. Just by reading the book, you can tell the author knows what he’s talking about. I also like the concept of splitting the book into two parts; it made it seem like there were two books in one. Out of the two parts, I preferred reading the first part more.

What I didn’t like about the book was that in part two the author was retelling some of the myths in great detail. The problem with this was that with so many different names in the stories, it was hard to keep up with all of them. I think to overcome this problem the author could have summarised the stories and made them shorter. Another way this problem could have been avoided is by the author placing a list of all the names mentioned in the story at the start of each story.

Overall, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because it was an interesting read. I knocked off one star because of the reason I stated above. I didn’t find any mistakes throughout the book, so it is professionally edited. This book is quite short, so it can be read in one sitting. Some of the stories mention rape so read at your own risk. Other than that, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about myths.

******
The Meaning of Myth
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kavita Shah]

It's like myth busters but in a book. I would like to read this book to learn about some myths(I don't really know a lot of them) and find their relevance in today's world. The you for a great review!

[El_limitless]

I've honestly always thought Myths and Legends are the same. Finding a book that differentiates both concepts will help my understanding. Great review.