A Short History Of Myth (The Myths)
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Daily Telegraph
"Elegantly argued and consistently thought-provoking"
Review
"Elegantly argued and consistently thought-provoking" Daily Telegraph "With characteristic incisiveness, Armstrong explores the development of myth from prehistory to the present day" Daily Mail "One of the most ambitious acts of mass story-telling in recent years" Metro "The most ambitious simultaneous worldwide publication ever undertaken" The Times "Disdainfully disregard this year's Booker Prize announcement... The Literary talking point of 2005 is set to be the launch of a major new series - The Myths." The List
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 CD
In this brief account, Karen Armstrong looks at the general changes in mankind's mythologising that have occurred over the Palaeolithic and Neolithic ages, the early civilisations, the 'Axial Age' (800 to 200 BCE), up to modern times. It is interesting to see how changes in the way we live have caused corresponding changes in our myths: Palaeolithic hunters were concerned with pacifying the spirits of the animals they killed, whereas Neolithic farmers' myths were more to do with the ground and the natural forces that affected their crop-raising.
In her introduction, Armstrong points out how mythical thinking is different from the rational or scientific-minded thinking that predominates today, though it is interesting to note that even the earliest men of the Palaeolithic period seemed to sense a gap in their lives, a separation from the world of their myths. The final chapter, The Great Western Transformation, looks at how art has come to replace sacred myth in our demythologised culture.
In her introduction, Armstrong points out how mythical thinking is different from the rational or scientific-minded thinking that predominates today, though it is interesting to note that even the earliest men of the Palaeolithic period seemed to sense a gap in their lives, a separation from the world of their myths. The final chapter, The Great Western Transformation, looks at how art has come to replace sacred myth in our demythologised culture.
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As someone who has a real interest in myth, its origins and its uses, but has found the likes of Joseph Campbell (who Armstrong references regularly) somewhat over my head, this was a very accessible and enjoyable read. She doesn't assume previous knowledge of the great mythologies, and builds a solid foundation from which to decide a future direction in one's reading.
The final chapter, "The Great Western Transformation," makes her perspective regarding the famine of mythology in the modern world clear and is very persuasive, although I was surprised and somewhat disappointed to find she did not touch on Jung in particular and pyschoanalytical theory in general. I empathised with, rather than believed in, her conclusions regarding the power of the novel as a replacement for myth.
But overall, a thought-provoking introduction into a facinating topic.
The final chapter, "The Great Western Transformation," makes her perspective regarding the famine of mythology in the modern world clear and is very persuasive, although I was surprised and somewhat disappointed to find she did not touch on Jung in particular and pyschoanalytical theory in general. I empathised with, rather than believed in, her conclusions regarding the power of the novel as a replacement for myth.
But overall, a thought-provoking introduction into a facinating topic.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a slender tome on a massive subject, so if you're looking for someone to cover all the bases as regards the life of myth then forget it. If you're looking for someone to give you a quick gallop through the evolution of mythology, some of its central preoccupations and some key starting points for a further exploration into the world of myth, then Armstrong is your woman. Written as the first and introductory tome for the Canongate Myths series, which invites well known authors to rewrite and refresh their favourite mythological stories, this is just as useful as a standalone, educational text, and doesn't need to be read in conjunction with any of the books featured in the series, particularly as each author prefaces their work with the reasons behind why they wrote what they wrote. This is still a good book to have. It deals with the broad concepts of what drives and keeps myth alive rather than the debate over how to study or interpret it, which is fine, as there are hundreds of books out there by anthropologists and other students of myth, all with their own particular axe to grind. It is particularly refreshing here to find a reasonable, coherent argument that just is.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Short History Of Myth
After reading Philip Pullman, Jeanette Winterson and Ali Smith in the Canongate Myths series, I decided that I needed a broader perspective so I ordered Karen Armstrong's general... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Elodie
Enlightenement on Myths
Thi is a very interesting book, explaining the orgins of myths. It begins with myths that the hunter gatherers had, and goes on to the ones concerning agriculture. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Liz Smith
Abridged myths
For such a huge subject, it is a small text but only in size.
Armstrong does try to paint on a broad canvas to deal with an aspect of humanity which is much overlooked. Read more
Armstrong does try to paint on a broad canvas to deal with an aspect of humanity which is much overlooked. Read more
Published 9 months ago by RR Waller
Excellent summary but presumes knowledge
This book is an excellent overview of the history of myth. Armstrong structures it by broad chronological chapters and provides general information on how myths as a whole have... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Hmckenna
An excellent primer on myth
This is a small book with large ambitions. In seven short chapters it surveys the history, development and meaning of myth from the Palaeolithic to the modern age. Read more
Published 18 months ago by SCM
One star or less
This book reads as if it were written in a hurry to meet a publisher's deadline and, as the references show, draws on a very limited number of sources. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2010 by Hugo Perks
A myth is not untrue, but what is truth?
In her usual manner, Armstrong combines erudition with instruction, writes precisely and succinctly, and says something which I found quite profound and yet could read at one... Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2010 by David Cornwell
Introducing the Canongate Myths series ...
One of my reading resolutions for 2010 is to read the entire Canongate Myths series - re-tellings of age old stories by great authors. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2010 by Annabel Gaskell
Short Cut To Wisdom
This short work, inevitably, does not have room to fully explore the ideas and themes it describes. It also has to give rather sweeping statements, some of which really need... Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by Rotgut
A nice short book
A good read, which gives the reader a view of how the human mind attempts to grasp the wonders of world around them before science.
Published on 23 Jun 2009 by Monty
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