Book Review: Greek Mythology by Liv Albert

Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Aphrodite to Zeus, a Profile of Who's Who in Greek Mythology by Liv Albert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For millennia, the gods and heroes of Greece have entertained numerous people and inspired authors and artists across genres, but not everyone today knows Athena from Artemis or the difference from Theseus and Perseus. Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook by Liv Albert is handy guide to the major figures of the mythos for those interested in knowing who is who.

Albert from the outset does not attempt to tackle every figure in Greek mythology or every myth, focusing on the most important and famous gods and heroes. With this in mind, Albert only focusing one story per entry, though many gods and/or heroes appear in multiple entries given their importance (i.e. Zeus in producing children and Hera going after them or their mothers). Except for individuals and events from The Iliad and The Odyssey, Albert retells the myths in a more balanced way most notably by calling out Zeus as a sexual deviant and Hera for her victim-blaming to name the two most prominent instances throughout multiple entries. Adding depth to the mythological retellings are roughly 25 illustrations by the amazingly talented Sara Richard whose art-deco influenced style gives the gods an ethereal appearance and mortals an unworldly quality.

Greek Mythology is a fantastic introductory book for those interested in the mythos of the ancient Greeks thanks to Liv Albert’s writing and Sara Richard’s art.

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