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Mythos
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
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Mythos
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Editor reviews
From beloved author and commentator Stephen Fry comes a deep and riveting exploration of some of the greatest myths ever told. In Mythos, Fry recounts some of the most compelling stories in mythology — from classic favourites to lesser known myths they definitely didn’t cover in your childhood classroom.
It’s no secret that Stephen Fry is a masterful storyteller: he’s one of the most well-known and beloved writers, actors, comedians and presenters of our time. He takes the performance skills he honed on programs like Fry and Laurie and the authorial chops he mastered writing gems including The Stars' Tennis Balls, Making History, The Hippopotamus, and The Liar to craft this educational, entertaining and electrifying work that makes ancient tales more relevant and exciting than ever.
Summary
Step into another world - of magic, mayhem, monsters and maniacal gods - in Stephen Fry's momentous Sunday Times and Audible best seller, 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 Fry's follow-up books Heroes and Troy, with tales of mortals and monsters, quests and adventures.
Critic reviews
"A head-spinning marathon of legends." (Guardian)
"Wit and erudition are impressively evident in Stephen Fry's idiosyncratic retelling of the myths of the Greek gods.... He adds fascinating philological glosses and cultural references." (The Times)
"Fry exhibits prodigious learning, a great facility with words, and enormous erudition and enthusiasm." (Mail on Sunday)
What listeners say about Mythos
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lily
- 08-11-17
I need more!
Thoroughly enjoyed this witty and engaging narrative. I will admit a feeling of massive disappointment though, when the stories just ended at Midas and I discovered that there was no mention of well known tales such as those of Hercules, Icarus, Oedipus, Electra, or the War of Troy. Stephen mentions that if he had covered these stories too the book would've been too long; well I'm hoping he'll read this and see me imploring him now to pleeeease write a part 2 and include the rest! His written style is so lovely to follow, I'm bitterly sad he's not retelling me the whole lot. I've tried reading books of Greek Mythology before, and so often find them dry and hard to follow. This book flowed beautifully. I'm sad it ended. Please write another one Stephen!!! *weeps melodramatically and sacrifices a cow for the muse of writers*
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454 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L. Turner
- 14-11-17
Stephen Fry does it again
I love Stephen Fry as an audiobook narrator, and I feel he's at his best when narrating his own writing. I'm also a fan of Greek mythology in general, so this combination seemed too good to be true.
This book is a marvellous combination of in-depth detail and funny, at times almost irreverent tone. From the beginning of the universe from Chaos, on through the rise of the Titans, then the Greek pantheon, to mankind's beginnings and ongoing adventures, the Greek tales are lovingly recreated by this master wordsmith.
I feel that this will be one with endless re-listening value, as I've already forgotten some of the names and details of the endless naiads, oceanids and so on (but I'd like to remember them). Definitely worth a buy, you won't regret it.
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234 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr Vaughan James
- 10-11-17
MYTHOS - A gift of a book from The Gods
This book is bar far one of the best reads of this genre I've had the pleasure to lend my ears to or cast my eyes upon.
Stephen Fry is one of the top Three of my favourite authors and this book has shifted him to number Two. An awesome, spellbinding, captivating book that draws you in and has you laugh, cry (in a manner of speaking) and certainly left me in awe and wonder about the Mythology as it is a subject I know and understand very little about. I bought the book because Stephen Fry is the author and nothing more but now, I've a whole new interest to discover and learn about. If Stephen reads these reviews at all, I cannot thank him enough for the wonderful NEW JOURNEY I'm about to embark on.
In short - an awesome MUST READ Book!!!
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136 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Derek
- 24-11-17
Very Entertaining.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Stephen Fry delivers a masterful narration of stories which everyone should know and love. So much wisdom that is as relevant now as it was then.
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70 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- hel
- 11-01-18
Brilliant - why is Stephen Fry so talented?!
Where does Mythos rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Excellent retelling of Greek myths. Funny and entertaining
What about Stephen Fry’s performance did you like?
His humour and diction kept me engaged. I couldn't wait to hear more.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No - I listened on my commute.
Any additional comments?
It doesn't seem fair for one man to be so darned clever. I know he has his demons but Stephen Fry is so talented and this showcases his brilliance.
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59 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 18-12-17
Great
Great collection of the Greek mythos, perfect balance between accuracy and relatability, not too dry at all!
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49 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- D Coleman
- 06-11-17
QI version of the classics
this is really how the classics should be told today!
this is not as good as Gaiman's re-telling of the Norse myths but its still a great listen.
it gets better the further in you go, his writing to begin with is a bit to many listing of names but as you get into the tales and deeds its much richer.
as mentioned it the title, is very much a QI version of re-telling, a few facts, a few jokes, a few pop culture references all read in Stephens harry potter style.
a good book, perhaps not as great as it could be but a sterling listen all the same.
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45 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Christian
- 21-11-19
Boring
Really not for me, I wasn't able to find anything interesting in it. It's just a shallow somehow sarcastic and wannabe funny view of greek mythology from the author. Good to fell asleep. Sorry.
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44 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Colin S Denby
- 23-06-18
interesting but difficult to follow
I found the character names really difficult to recall & hard to follow. the stories themeselves were good and I liked the connections drawn to modern day. Stephen fry narritates well but couldn't score higher as was and effort to finish.
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31 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L. LYONS
- 02-11-17
Classic origin stories
I've been a fan of Greek mythology since I was at primary school. I know a lot of these stories very well, so to hear that Stephen Fry had written a book about these myths that I love so well, I grew very excited.
And in fact, must admit, he's done a wonderful job in characterising these Greek gods, goddesses, titans and others.
However, I admit that when I was listening, it was difficult to separate these stories out of something that might have appeared in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Partly because Stephen Fry, that most wonderful narrator, will always be the voice of the Guide in my head.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara
- 23-05-19
Absolutely delightful to listen to
Stephen Fry is truly a genius. Not only are the stories brilliantly and artfully written, but Stephen's narration of the stories is utterly sublime.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher McGrath
- 17-05-18
Wonderful and Fun
Obviously the subject matter isn’t new, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable rendition of the myths of Ancient Greece. In a compelling-yet-playful way Fry tells not only the stories, but the context of these tales in modern life: the relationship between methane and the god of wine;, the origins of the bee’s sting.
It’s also quite digestible, but most of all fun.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Marc
- 10-05-18
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 ...
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diego Ferrer
- 02-02-18
Nice selection of myths, perfect narration
What did you love best about Mythos?
Honestly, I bought this book because I really enjoy anything read by Stephen Fry. For me, he sets the standard of excellence of how a book should be read and voices should be played. I will buy almost anything read by him and listen to it several times (specially the Harry Potter series).
Also, I like greek myths a lot and was curious to know which myths Stephen had chosen and how would he write about them or interpret them. I really liked how he started from the beginning according to greek myth and then chooses some interesting stories along the way, always keeping it light and fun. This is the perfect book for someone that likes mythology or is curious about it mainly for entertainment and a little bit of learning about the impact of those myths in today's vocabulary or expressions.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- RomulusRom
- 04-06-19
Oh Mr. Fry, is there anything you can't do?
I'm not sure if there is anyone in the world that could bring these myths and legends to live in the same way as Stephen Fry did in his book Mythos. Such natural storytelling, such lovely little detours, sidenotes, and other embellishments. How can one not love this book? It's magical. Gorgeous. Wonderful. Magnificent.
In short: the absolute best way to enjoy these classic tales.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lars Andre Glendrange
- 19-12-18
The book is charming, entertaining and a good read
Stephen Fry's peformance and reading of this book is charming in the way he portrays both the gods and the humans in these myths.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Riya Banerjee
- 17-05-18
Didn't want it to end
This was my first audiobook ever and I'm so glad I started with this one. It wasn't too heavy (as long as you don't try to remember all the names introduced) and each story was as interesting as the last. Stephen Fry's voice variations during dialogues often made me smile while riding the public trains of Tokyo. I definitely recommend this to those who are curious about Greek mythology.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Banks
- 05-08-19
Simply Superb
I had an absolute blast listening to this Stephen Fry performance. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and since it is not a novel and there is not a single story line or plot, I think that has a lot of merit. If you are into History, Mythology or just curious in general, you must pick this up.
The ancient Greek world is fascinating in itself and to put their beliefs into perspective, through their mythology, really helps understand better how they were and how much influence they have had throughout history.
Stephen Fry is just a delight to listen to, his way of putting a personality to each character is on point and really makes the whole ride that much enjoyable. I don't think the book would be the same without him. I'm already exploring more of his titles for my next credit!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- nelgut
- 31-07-19
¡Brilliant!
Perfect book to listen. A very interesting and compelling re-telling of the Myths that still influence our daily lives. Mr. Fry, flawless as ever, brings these characters to life, in the most entertaining way, providing modern context for younger readers.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mårten W.
- 02-04-19
Starts out great but drags on
I struggle to finish this book since the last couple of hours are not very interesting at all.
The book starts out great and is a blast for the first 5-8 hours
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1 person found this helpful