The story of myth /

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Johnston, Sarah Iles, 1957- author.
Imprint:	Cambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, 2018. ©2018
Description:	x, 374 pages ; 25 cm
Language:	English
Subject:	Mythology, Greek -- Comparative studies. Discourse analysis, Narrative. Heroes -- Mythology -- Greece. Discourse analysis, Narrative. Heroes -- Mythology. Mythology, Greek. Greece. Comparative studies.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11721931

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9780674185074 0674185072
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Summary:	Greek myths have long been admired as beautiful, thrilling stories but dismissed as serious objects of belief, even for the Greeks themselves. Indeed, for centuries scholars have argued that the stories that the Greeks handed down to us--the epics, the tragedies and the other compelling works that the Greeks left behind--obscure the 'real' myths that supposedly inspired them, and have striven to excavate their hidden meanings. The Story of Myth, however, argues that it was precisely their nature as stories--as gripping tales, starring vivid characters--that enabled myths to do their most important work: to create and sustain belief in the gods and heroes that populated them, thus forming the basis of Greek religion. By drawing on recent work in narratology, sociology and folklore studies and by comparing Greek myths to other narratives--not only the myths of other cultures such as the ancient Near East, but fairy tales, fantasy works, 19th century ghost stories, modern novels, and television series, as well--author Sarah Iles Johnston reveals the subtle yet powerful ways in which the myths forged enduring bonds between their characters and their audience members, created coherent story-worlds, and made it possible to believe in extraordinary gods.--

Review by Choice Review

In this elegantly written, meticulously researched volume, Johnston (religion and classics, Ohio State) invites the reader to consider how ancient Greek audiences experienced myths and to take seriously the narrative forms, rich with plots and characters (many gods, even more heroes), in which these compositions appeared. Readers will come to appreciate that aspects of myths dismissed as accretions by earlier scholars are in fact integral to their retelling and performance in a wide variety of religious contexts. The author is unfailingly fair in her appraisal of others' scholarship, even (perhaps especially) when she finds fault. In addition she seamlessly weaves in examples from modern popular culture--where else do Medea and Mad Men or Hera and Harry Potter share the page with such mutually illuminating results? Johnston's emphasis on distinctive features of Greek myth, especially in comparison with similar material from the ancient Near East, is valuable, but it does not obscure the considerable number of insights she offers that are widely applicable. This book speaks at one and the same time to specialists and interested readers within and outside of the academy. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --Leonard J. Greenspoon, Creighton University

Review by Choice Review

The story of myth /

Similar Items