Mythos (2017) By Stephen Fry

"The Greeks created gods that were in their image; warlike but creative, wise but ferocious, loving but jealous, tender but brutal, compassionate, but vengeful."

As someone who only ever had the most basic knowledge of Greek mythology, and always wished to discover more about the many gods, demi-gods, monsters, nymphs, and various other creatures that inhabited the minds of the Greeks, I always hoped to find an accessible way into that fantastical world. This, the first of a quadrilogy of books from the incredibly intelligent Stephen Fry, looked to be the perfect gateway for me.

"Gaia visited her daughter Mnemosyne, who was busy being unpronounceable."

The book reads like Fry having a jovial, relaxed conversation with the reader, which makes for easy reading, despite the convoluted nature of the material being covered. Fry did end up listing quite often, although, in fairness, this did feel like somewhat of a necessity at times, and the familial style of Fry's diction made it feel less like droning.

"For the world seems never to offer anything worthwhile without also providing a dreadful opposite."

What Fry portrayed was a fascinating selection of stories and characters of all shapes, sizes and meanings, most of them inevitably tragic in some way. He made each one so digestible for the reader - yes, some artistic licence is taken, for example, in the way the characters speak, but, to be totally transparent, I found that even more appealing, in a sense. It semi-modernised the myths.

"Gaia listened carefully to this wise counsel and - as we all do, whether mortal or immortal - ignored it."

Overall, I found this retelling of many of those most famous stories to be wonderfully done. It introduced me to a lot of Greek lore that I had never heard of, and it did so in a wonderfully absorbable manner. It felt like listening to one's favourite teacher describing their favourite events of history with the utmost passion and joy. Fry's very real adoration for the Greeks and their tales oozes from each page, and it's quite impossible not to feel the shimmer of his excitement as one reads his words.

"When lust descends, discretion, common sense and wisdom fly off and what may seem cunning concealment to one in the grip of passion looks like transparently clumsy idiocy to everyone else."