good edition of Greek myths?
 

Can someone recommend a good edition of Greek myths suitable for a middle school (young teen) student with a lively interest in the subject?

Thanks,
Jan

While I will say (to the chagrin of a certain MC here) that the glossary in my book is a pretty good start, my big recommendation to folks who just want the stories without all the encyclopedic information is to get Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin. It's many of the stories collected in a fun-to-read prose. It's no art but it's good.

Edith Hamilton. Still very readable.

Robert Graves in two volumes was what I had. And still have.

Everybody has already mentioned the books I was going to suggest, but I'll add this: I haven't read the Percy Jackson series myself (it's a YA series combining the Greek myths with a contemporary protagonist and marketed very successfully in the post-Rowling mode...), but my son and various high schoolers I have taught LOVE these books and have really learned their stuff mythology-wise (pretty accurately, as near as I can tell) by reading them.

I'm with Sam.

Timothy Gantz, Archaic Greek Myth! Callimachus Aetia by Annete Harder!



Okay, I'm joking. As a kid, maybe younger than you're talking about (can't remember) I had an illustrated edition called D'Aulieres that I loved, long before I ever thought of studying classics. I have this vague notion that as a classicist I should be upset with Edith Hamilton over something, but am not sure what it is, and anyway, I doubt it matters too much.

C

D'Aulieres is superb!!
Amazon has it here

Nemo

Thanks all for the responses. I'm not familiar with the Percy Jackson series, and the approach has possibilities, but the D'Aulieres' edition is just what I was looking for, and so thanks again to Chris and Nemo.

Jan

The D'Aulires is an elementary level book. Evslin is a great bridge between works like that and Hamilton-Graves-Etc.

I hugely recommend 'Gods, Men and Monsters from the Greek Myths' by Michael Gibson, which I had (and loved) as a boy.

Robert Graves, as John suggests, is the definitive work, but perhaps a bit daunting for a teenager.

I'm currently reading Graves' book, and the interpretations that go along with the myths are certainly idiosyncratic, in a good way. I recall reading Bulfinch's Mythology when I was much younger. It's not definitive, and I think he uses the Roman names for the gods, but I still have fond memories of it.

Sean

The definitive work is Timothy Gantz, which I linked to above, if what you want to know is: what are the stories? what are the variations? what are the sources? But it is not a book for reading cover to cover, or for children, or for pleasure reading of any sort. It is, however, tremendously helpful for its synoptic overview of the primary sources. If you're looking to enjoy yourself, though, I bet Graves is great.

C

Graves takes a reductively historical view of myth, the euhemerist prejudice. Not my cup of tea at all.

Nemo

Interesting range of responses. I know Hamilton's book, and Graves has long been my handy reference work on myth. But for my soon to be 11-year-old granddaughter, I've settled on D'Aulieres' volume (for its introductory level comprehensive organization) for her birthday, and will supplement it with Gibson's Gods, Men, and Monsters, the story format of which will I think better serve to fill the "down" hours--long flights, train rides, evenings in hotels--during our upcoming trip to South Africa.

Thanks all for comments and suggestions,
Jan

As an adult, I think Graves' books are the best (they were recently compiled into a single trade paperback edition), but when I was in high school, I learned a lot from Bulfinch, and his edition is very readable for a young teen. I might be wrong, but I think he skips some of the saucier myths such as Leda and the swan, as well as the more insidious elements of the labyrinth myth (i.e.: how the minotaur came to be...).

I suppose they're too old for Hawthorne's Tanglewood Tales?

I've got a great old illustrated volume of the Hawthorne that belonged to my father when he was a child.

Nemo

And I stole a phrase from my copy and hid it in a poem.