Men And Gods

by Rex Warner, Edward Gorey (Illustrator)

This outstanding collection brings together the novelist and scholar Rex Warner's knack for spellbinding storytelling with Edward Gorey's inimitable talent as an illustrator in a memorable modern recounting of the most beloved myths of ancient Greece.
Writing in a relaxed and winning colloquial style, Warner vividly recreates the classic stories of Jason and the Argonauts and Theseus and the Minotaur, among many others, while Gorey's quirky pen-and-ink sketches offer a visual interpretation of these great myths in the understated but brilliantly suggestive style that has gained him admirers throughout the world. These tales cover the range of Greek mythology, including the creation story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the heroic adventures of Perseus, the fall of Icarus, Cupid and Psyche's tale of love, and the tragic history of Oedipus and Thebes." Men and Gods" is an essential and delightful book with which to discover some of the key stories of world literature.

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Literature, History, School

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Rex Warner was an English classicist, writer and translator. He is now probably best remembered for The Aerodrome (1941), an allegorical novel whose young hero is faced with the disintegration of his certainties about his loved ones and with a choice between the earthy, animalistic life of his home village and the pure, efficient, emotionally detached life of an airman.

Reviews

[Rana Najjar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good collection of some Greek myths, some which I'm familiar with and some are new to me. My only complain is that the Roman names of the gods were used instead of the Greek ones.

[Grania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Men and Gods: Myths and L.... Still haven't come across any illustrations. Seems to be better written than Enid Blytons book of the Greek Myths. The text is matter-of-fact about magnified cruel vengeance, and the perils of life before penicillin.
The ancient Greeks didn't embrace feminism and death/gruesome torture of close family members seems to be a dating hazard. Don't mess with the Gods.

[Dany · Rating 2 out of 5]

A super simplistic breakdown of some Greek myths. Nice refresher on the stories, though the writing is not particularly impressive. Also, if you were excited about the illustrations by Edward Gorey- forget it, they're not that great.

[Addie Sidles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait why was I obsessed with this?!?!!?! It gives your grandpa giving his own rendition of the classic Greek stories which I loved. He added his own flare and personality into the stories which I really enjoyed. They were also short and very digestible versions of these stories and many I didn’t know as well. If you want an easy fun read of the some of the Greek mythologies I recommend!!! Also loved the illustrations littered thought the book! Also so fascinating that there can be many different interpretations of the same story that has been passed down for literally centuries.

[Frank Hestvik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I learnt from this book:

* The Latin (Roman) names for most of the gods. I'm not sure why all the names given were the Roman versions, but there you go.
* If you receive any indication that someone close to you has died, you should immediately and without hesitation kill someone, quite possibly yourself. Exactly who you should kill (e.g. an enemy, a family member, yourself) is a bit obscure; many get it wrong and are haphazardly punished in some way or other.
* Bacchus is creepily benign and innocent compared to the depictions I've seen in American TV-series.
* Venus is actually a huge diva bitch.
* I feel sorry for Hypsipile (sic). Poor, poor Hypsipile.

Things I already knew:

* The Greek gods are vindictive and emotional children, doling out cruelty and blessings somewhat randomly.
* Jupiter sure loves poon.
* Hercules is bad ass. In fact, many of the gods seem like pussies by comparison.

My favorite stories were "Orpheus and Eurydice," "Atalanta's Race," "Arachne," "Antigone," and of course, the best one in the book: "Psyche and Cupid." I also enjoyed the stories featuring Medea. Now there's a woman.

The language is clear and unembellished; the stories are short and to the point. This is a take-it-or-leave-it for me. I feel some part of me is drawn toward putting down four stars, but that's probably because the last story was "Psyche and Cupid" and it was just so good.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

I didn't read these stories so much for pleasure but I wanted to obtain an understanding of how mythology related to the society of the time and to people's thought patterns. As a result, I skipped over those stories I knew - Theseus and the Minotaur for example - and focused on ones that were new to me. As a result I read probably 60% of the book. Each myth was well written and presented and, as an author, I found them to be fascinating. Much larger than life, they describe the world in terms of gods, monsters and heroes. Emotions such as love, jealousy and hate become larger, more dominating, take on personas and step forward to convey their story.

For those who are familiar with mythology, I think this book is pretty much old-hat, but for anyone who may have learned a bit in high-school and hasn't bothered with the subject since, this book is a good one to read because quite a few of the stories are seldom told and certainly worth reading.

[Jameela Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

If anyone wants to learn more about Greek mythology, I highly suggest this. This book is full of Greek myths and tales. Because I took a mythology class my Junior year, I was already pretty familiar with some of the stories; however, there were some that I never learned.

If you are interested in this kind of thing, this is the book for you. It just wasn't really for me.

[Hassanin Abed · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a pleasure to read the texts that inspired the classical painters, sculptors and great writers and scholars of the western civilization. The contextual revisions of the subjects are on point.

[mindfroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent Greek mythology primer, written for children, but sophisticated ones.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this for the Edward Gorey illustrations and felt there could have been more of them.

[Akinwale Kunmi]

Most useless app, after downloading and searched for the preferred book, I still can't open the book to read if it's what I want or not. How many times will it take to open the book?

[rupert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got repetitive

[Jim Leckband · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Men and Gods" is a very well written retelling of the Greek myths (albeit using their Roman names - i.e. Venus for Aphrodite). Every myth is its own set piece and does not require previous knowledge of the Greek mythical universe. Warner's prose is wry and understated, with points of brilliance as vivid as the constellations whose creation stories the Greeks devised. The only caveat is that sometimes Warner does do a bit of lineage tracing of names and places that are very opaque, but usually that is at the start and doesn't continue. Nothing like The Silmarillion thank Jupiter!

Oh, and the Edward Gorey thing. I can't imagine why you would buy a book of Greek myths because it has illustrations by Edward Gorey. Yes, he has a certain talent - but come on, the myths outshine anything by him in this book, even if he has hipster cred nowadays. The book cover, alas, doesn't help as Edward Gorey's name is in only slightly smaller font than the title of the book - and much bigger than Rex Warner's. Hmmph.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very charming little collection of Greek Myths. Good for some light reading, it highlights the trials of virtually all the Greek demigods. The prose is written in a fashion that is a tad dated (the myths are told in story form with lavish description), but is charming and much preferable to the usual nonfictional blah-blah. I am a fan.

[Alice M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth the high cover price. A lovely little volume with stunning illustrations by Gorey and good, solid retellings. Mostly taken from Ovid, as far as I can tell; Rex Warner's prose retains Metamorphoses' somewhat stiff, matter-of-fact, and comfortingly familiar tone.

I recommend this book to any lover of mythology, aficionado or dabbler.

[Angelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although sometimes I get a little confused, because the narration of the stories jump from one scene to another abruptly, I really enjoyed the collection of Greek mythology and stories.
It was also an immense pleasure to me reading it with its Latin terms for the gods. This book definitely taught me some things and reminded me of others.

[JJ Aitken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wonderful collection put together by Rex Warner with illustrations by Edward Gorey is something anyone should have in their collection. I think Rex Warner could turn a shopping list into a captivating tale. Recreated in a very relaxed and playful way that leaves them refreshing and accessible. It also proves that Edward Gorey’s illustrations are truly timeless.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating is from when I read it as a child. I found it at my grandparents' house and they gave it to me when they saw how interested in it I was. It's a great introduction to Greek Mythology for kids who have passed the picture book stage.

[Coco]

it's so pretty i wish there was a picture!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit brief, this was a great way to be reintroduced to the gods. The Gorey illustrations were the reason I bought this book, the Warner translation is why I enjoyed it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

i've always loved greek & roman myths & legends about their heroes & gods. this is probably one of the better books i've read on the subject

[Uche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literature book in school that we ended up never reading in class. I kept waiting for us to write a report on it, and we never did. What a shame for the rest of the class.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light read; bundle of short stories that offer a nice intro to Greek mythology:)

[ds white · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty Gorey

[Abby Desmond]

Good, manageable and humorous versions of all the greatest hits.

[Maliek Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

its interesting and kool i will learn news things