Mythos

The Greek Myths Retold

By: Stephen Fry

Narrated by: Stephen Fry

Brought to you by Penguin

STEP INTO ANOTHER WORLD - OF MAGIC, MAYHEM, MONSTERS AND MANIACAL GODS - IN STEPHEN FRY'S MOMENTOUS SUNDAY TIMES AND AUDIBLE BESTSELLER, MYTHOS

Discover Stephen Fry's magnificent retelling of the greatest myths and legends ever told . . .

No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.

In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling, we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld.

Shiver in fear when Pandora opens her jar of evil torments.

Listen with joy as the legendary love affair between Eros and Psyche unfolds.

Read by Stephen Fry himself, Mythos captures these extraordinary myths for our modern age - in all their dazzling and deeply human relevance.

If you're enthralled by the magic of Greek mythology you'll love the final instalment to Fry’s retellings, ODYSSEY, a legendary voyage of peril, temptation, loss and epic adventure.

‘The Greek myths are told to you here by the ever-soothing voice of Stephen Fry, who takes you from Zeus to Athena with his typical humour.’ The Guardian

‘Read by Fry with his accustomed ebullient showmanship [he] gives the legends modern resonance by telling them with a contemporary colloquial twist' AUDIOBOOK of the WEEK, The Times

'Mythos is the best thing he's written since his superb first novel...it is entertaining and edifying - one cannot really ask for more than that.' The Telegraph

If you're enthralled by the magic of Greek mythology you'll love the final instalment to Fry’s retellings, ODYSSEY, a legendary voyage of peril, temptation, loss and epic adventure.

© Stephen Fry 2017 (P) Penguin Audio 2017

Critic reviews

The Greek myths are told to you here by the ever-soothing voice of Stephen Fry, who takes you from Zeus to Athena with his typical humour. The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. It is joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy threaded through so much of the tapestry of contemporary Greece

Wit and erudition are impressively evident . . . Read by Fry with his accustomed ebullient showmanship [he] gives the legends modern resonance by telling them with a contemporary colloquial twist' (AUDIOBOOK of the WEEK)

Mythos is the best thing he's written since his superb first novel . . . it is entertaining and edifying - one cannot really ask for more than that

Fry's lively writing certainly conveys his lifelong passion for Greek myths . . . It's a rollicking good read

Fry reimagines the Greek myths with wit, warmth and humanity, bringing them into the modern age. A welcome addition to any bookshelf

Mythos is Stephen's vivid retelling of the Greek myths. Bringing to life the Gods, monsters and mortals of Ancient Greece, he reimagines their astonishing stories for the modern world.

Perfect for the 21st Century. Ebullient, funny, Fry retells the Greek myths with elegance

A wondrous new immersion in ancient stories we only thought weknew. Page to page, Mythos is brilliant, funny, erudite, inventive, surprising and enthralling (Richard North Patterson)

[Fry] exhibits prodigious learning, a great facility with words, and enormous erudition and enthusiasm

Lively, humorous and intimate, this retelling has real charm

Modernized easy-listening version of old tales

Do not expect anything "new" about the well-known Greek myths that are retold here. But do expect them to get a slightly "updated" tone, modernized pace and some tongue-in-cheek side-comments by the story-teller (or "author" if you will).
Stephen Fry does a nice job on that. He is not the world's greatest dramatic writer, so some of the stories come with quite some lengths that make you wish for an editor to cut, cut, cut. But Stephen's enthusiasm well carries you through it. That is if you like his style ...

The book starts with the creation of "the world" (universe, actually) and ends with the story of Midas (the guy with the "Golden Touch"), so it is NOT a "complete" collection of all the myths and stories available in the vast pool of Greek mythology. It is a good enough excerpt, though, if you want to grasp the patterns and the overall "tone" of those stories (most of which can be found in other peoples' mythologies in respective form anyway).

What I liked about this approach is the complete neglection of any academic expectations. Stephen Fry makes it quite clear that you neither need any prerequisites to enjoy the book nor will you gain any "insight" into the stories' "meaning", be it literary or sociological or etymological. He does hint at some words or expression derived from character names mentioned in the stories, but does not go into any further depths. This gives the book a "light-hearted" touch and makes it easy to listen to while on the road or in bed or under the shower or ...

Brilliant!

A wonderful read. Brilliantly narrated, informative, but ammusing. Will listen to again at some point.

Perfectly told Greek myths

I loved listening to this book. Stephen Fry is the perfect voice to bring the stories to life and I highly recommend listening till the end. There's something special about listening to these myths that I've been reading all my life.

Humorous listening

The man could read a phone book and I’d listen. The only reason for the four stars is that I’m unsure why these exact versions of the legends were selected, and very rarely other versions are even mentioned. This will only be mildly bothersome if you’re already familiar with the stories.

Stephen fry’s prose and narration

This retelling of Greek myth will bring back the delight you felt when you first encountered the stories; myths and legends of Ancient Greece