Greek mythology, where to begin?

[fleaaaaaa]

Hey I'm interested in reading some Greek mythology such as the story of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and melted his waxen wings or Medusa.

Does anyone know what I should look to read?

[Niamh]

Dont forget to read Assops fables...well he was greek anyway!
http://aesopfables.com/aesopsel.html

[WICKES]

Robert Graves wrote a book on Greek Mythology I think

[jgweed]

Bulfinch

http://www.bartleby.com/181/

[Scheherazade]

Edith Hamilton's Mythology: http://www.amazon.com/Mythology-Edith-Hamilton/dp/0316341517

Fun to read, witout making things more complicated than they already are.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Robert Graves wrote a book on Greek Mythology I think

I have this, it is OK, but I'm sure there are better ones out there, although many people like it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greek-Myths-Robert-Graves/dp/0140171991/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220898108&sr=1-1

[mayneverhave]

Ovid's Metamorphoses

[bazarov]

One and only Gustav Schwab.

[johann cruyff]

One and only Gustav Schwab.

Yep, a great start.

[DapperDrake]

I have this, it is OK, but I'm sure there are better ones out there, although many people like it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greek-Myths-Robert-Graves/dp/0140171991/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220898108&sr=1-1

Yes I have this book, its comprehensive and well put together but rather dry, I only tackle it when I'm in a studious mood and have time on my hands.

[Drkshadow03]

I have a review of Graves's collection on my blog (http://beyondassumptions.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/book-13-the-greek-myths-by-robert-graves/).

I agree with both its weaknesses mentioned here and its strengths. Though, I add to its weaknesses in the blog review. It's best used as a reference book that will lead you to the Greek and Roman documenters of the written version of the myths. You then can get translations.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I also have Ovid's Metamorphoses trans by Melville from Oxford World Classics which I find more of an enjoyable read. It depends what you are looking for, the Graves is better for reference with some good notes, but if you are just looking to get stuck into the stories then you would be better with this or some of the ones listed above.

[fleaaaaaa]

Is there a way I can download all the bullfinch stuff as an E-book or will I have to save each bit one by one?

[Drkshadow03]

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3327

http://www.archive.org/details/ageoffableorbea00bulf

[lyni]

another suggestion is a book called Classical Mythology by A.R. Hope Moncrieff. it is not a refference book. the myths are all in short story form and easy to read. they are a good introduction.

[jhonerliz]

I have a book of Mythology by Edith Hamilton.....

[Christophe]

If you wish to start at the beginning you really should start with Hesiod. If you want a text to start off with you might try Classical Mythology, Images and Insights or Graves, as has been suggested.

[Atsab]

Get Graves! Hamilton is boring and weak. Bullfinch changed all the stories to match contemporary worldviews and censored them for children. Robert Graves, on the other hand, REALLY knows his stuff, never shies from the details, and gives all the versions of the myths as they developed, endowing the reader with a firm understanding of the culture and events that shaped them and how they changed over time. Besides that it's quite readable, if rather erudite. The fact that it's in two volumes makes it seem much longer than the others, but it's not actually too much bigger, and besides that you could just read the first one and be better off than if you hadn't (or even better off than if you'd read Hamilton or Bullfinch). Graves also wrote the novel I, Claudius, which is on the Modern Library's Top 100 books of the 20th century list, and The White Goddess, a pioneering work of anthropology examining "the nature of poetic myth-making". He's a real go-getter.