Popular European Mythology Books

Find mythology books written by authors from Europe for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (50)

31.

The Iliad by Homer EN

Rating: 4 (16 votes)
Country: Europe / Greece flag Greece
Description:
Read this stunning translation of Homer's great war epic, the legendary tale of honour, love, loss and revenge during the fall of the city of Troy. High on Olympus, Zeus and the assembled deities look down on the world of men, to the city of Troy where a bitter and bloody war has dragged into its tenth year, and a quarrel rages between a legendary warrior and his commander. Greek ships decay, men languish, exhausted, and behind the walls of Troy a desperate people await the next turn of fate. This is the Iliad- an ancient story of enduring power; magnetic characters defined by stirring and mom... continue

32.

The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Greece flag Greece
Description:
Robin Hard is Tutor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Reading.

33.

The Mabinogion by Sioned Davies EN

Rating: 3 (2 votes)
Country: Europe / Wales flag Wales
Description:
The 11 tales of the Mabinogion combine Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance. This new translation recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.

34.

The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony by Roberto Calasso EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Italy flag Italy
Description:
Presenting the stories of Zeus and Europa, Theseus and Ariadne, the birth of Athens and the fall of Troy, in all their variants, Calasso also uncovers the distant origins of secrets and tragedy, virginity, and rape. "A perfect work like no other. (Calasso) has re-created . . . the morning of our world."--Gore Vidal. 15 engravings.

35.

The Odyssey by Homer EN

Rating: 4 (19 votes)
Country: Europe / Greece flag Greece
Description:
'Tell me, Muse, of the man of many turns, who was driven far and wide after he had sacked the sacred city of Troy' Twenty years after setting out to fight in the Trojan War, Odysseus is yet to return home to Ithaca. His household is in disarray: a horde of over 100 disorderly and arrogant suitors are vying to claim Odysseus' wife Penelope, and his young son Telemachus is powerless to stop them. Meanwhile, Odysseus is driven beyond the limits of the known world, encountering countless divine and earthly challenges. But Odysseus is 'of many wiles' and his cunning and bravery eventually lead him ... continue

36.

The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Country: Europe / Bulgaria flag Bulgaria
Description:
Using the myth of the Minotaur as its organising image, the narrator of Gospodinov's long-awaited novel constructs a labyrinth of stories about his family, jumping from era to era and viewpoint to viewpoint, exploring the mind-set and trappings of Eastern Europeans. Shortlisted for prizes around the world, Georgi Gospodinov's thrilling new novel will appeal to fans of Dave Eggers, Tom McCarthy and Dubravka Ugresic for its unique structure, humanitarian concerns and stunning storytelling.


38.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill EN

Rating: 4 (2 votes)
Country: Europe / England flag England
Description:
A horror debut by one of Britain's most celebrated up-and-coming writers, in which four friends get lost in a forest in Sweden, to find their lives are in mortal peril... as something evil lurks.


40.

The Saga of the Volsungs by author unknown, Jesse L. Byock (translator) EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Iceland flag Iceland
Description:
One of the great books of world literature--an unforgettable tale of jealousy, unrequited love, greed, and vengeance. Based on Viking Age poems and composed in thirteenth-century Iceland, The Saga of the Volsungs combines mythology, legend, and sheer human drama in telling of the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer, who acquires runic knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. Yet the saga is set in a very human world, incorporating oral memories of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. In his illuminating... continue