Stephen Fry has had an incredibly varied career ranging from comedian, actor, TV gameshow host and novelist, but next up on his hit list is Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold. In his upcoming factual hardback release, Fry will be giving us a potted history of some of the greatest stories ever told, but don’t expect this to be the Disney version of the mythical accounts. This will be covering the terrible wars, wild debauchery and savage monster slaying as much as the Herculean legends that we think we know, so it’s going to be pretty dark in parts.
You’ve only got to look at the cinematic releases from big-name film companies in Hollywood to see the ongoing impact that the Greek myths continue to have to this day. This year’s big superhero movie, Wonder Woman, for example, is steeped in the mythology with the lead character being the daughter of Zeus and going on to fight his war-hungry son Ares in the final battle on the front line during World War I.
With artists and writers like Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and obviously Walt Disney all dipping into the annals of Greek mythology for their work, it’s very clear that it has had a significant impact over the years. The stories are embedded in our culture and storytelling with Titans, gods, monsters and villains that we are all incredibly familiar with, and they’ll all be getting Stephen Fry’s quintessential worldview in the upcoming release.
The book will be available on hardback and digital on the 2nd November 2017, so it will be the perfect accompaniment to the onset of winter. It will also make a pretty good birthday present for any dads, uncles, husbands and Blackadder-obsessed life partners that you’re struggling to get a gift for. On review, that sounds a little sexist, so you can probably also add it to your contender pile for anyone who you think might be interested in learning more about the myths of ancient Greece with the wit and style of Stephen Fry retelling them all for you.
Mythos will also be coming out as an audiobook with Stephen Fry narrating the entire thing. Having done a very good job for all of the Harry Potter audiobook releases, it should be a great way to get into the stories.
You should prepare yourself for an epic of almost epic proportions with 400 pages to make it through in the hardback version. Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold will cover everything from the wonder of Zeus and the birth of Athena, to the vengeful act of Cronus and Gaia, the truth behind the golden touch of King Midas and the incredible hunting skills of Artemis, “The Mistress of Animals” as Homer referred to her.
It’s one of a couple of significant hardback releases this year to cover ancient mythology, following on from Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology back in February.
You can keep up-to-date with the latest from Stephen Fry on his Twitter page.
“The book will be available on hardback and digital on the 2nd November 2017, so it will be the perfect accompaniment to the onset of winter. It will also make a pretty good birthday present for any dads, uncles, husbands and Blackadder-obsessed life partners that you’re struggling to get a gift for.” Because only men like Greek Myths? My husband would hate this. I, on the other hand would love it.