Name: Matthew Jackson's review of Heroes by Stephen Fry
Item: Heroes
Rating: 3.5
Author: Matthew Jackson

Stephen Fry

Heroes

Matthew Jackson

IMAGINE SANDALS ON YOUR FEET, A SWORD IN YOUR HAND, HOT SUN BEATING DOWN ON YOUR BRONZE HELMET. ENTER THE WORLD OF STEPHEN FRY'S SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, HEROES In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry gloriously retells the epic myths of the Greek heroes - which will be loved by young and old alike. 'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail ___________ Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes. In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera. Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best. 'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times 'Assured and engaging. The pace is lively, the jokes are genuinely funny' Guardian 'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard 'Just as delightful and difficult to put down as the first. Heroes makes the stories relatable without skimping on the gory details, or sacrificing the truths of the myth. It's rich, it's funny and you'll feel like you've learned a lot' Herald ___________ If you like the sound of Heroes, you'll love Mythos - Fry's first foray into the enthralling world of Greek mythology. Praise for Mythos: 'Ebullient and funny' Times 'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph 'A rollicking good read' Independent 'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy' Guardian

Nessa Luna

This was on my 5-star prediction list and I'm sad to say it didn't get 5 stars, though I did really enjoy it. It's just all the names and such that I kept on forgetting and the footnotes that distracted me (they did have some good information though, but it's still distracting) and took me out of the story. But yeah, I always love to read more about myths especially if it's retold in a bit of a funny way.

Matija

Really enjoyed this book. I read them out of order, but this one might have been my favorite out of all three. Stephen Fry is a great story teller. 

🌞Laur🌞

In this sequel to the bestselling Mythos, legendary author and actor Stephen Fry moves from the exploits of the Olympian gods to the deeds of mortal heroes. Perseus. Jason. Atalanta. Theseus. Heracles. Rediscover the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths. Whether recounting a tender love affair or a heroic triumph, Fry deftly finds resonance with our own modern minds and hearts. Illustrated throughout with classical art inspired by the myths, this gorgeous volume invites you to explore a captivating world with a brilliant storyteller as your guide. • Each adventure is infused with Fry's distinctive voice and writing style. • Connoisseurs of the Greek myths will appreciate this fresh-yet-reverential interpretation, while newcomers will feel welcome. • Retellings brim with humor and emotion. "Mostly Chiron saw in the child, and the young man he became, boundless courage, athleticism, intelligence, and ambition. He saw too lots of words beginning with 'self,' which gave him pause. Self-belief, self-possession, self-righteousness, self-confidence, self-love. Perhaps these characteristics are as necessary to a hero as courage." In Heroes, Fry draws out the humor and pathos in both tender love affairs and heroic battles, and reveals each myth's relevance for our own time. • A collector's edition filled with classical art inspired by the myths and a luxe, foil-stamped jacket • Perfect gift for mythology and history buffs, lovers of ancient Greece, art aficionados, and devoted fans of Stephen Fry • Add it to the shelf with books like Circe by Madeline Miller, Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, and Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

The Greek Myths Reimagined (Greek Mythology Book for Adults, Book of Greek Myths and Hero Tales)

Solid book showing the stories of selected Greek heroes! Did feel a bit slow at times, but rating bumped up .25 stars because it ended with Theseus, and boy, did the way Fry write that one pulled me in. Worth noting there are multiple page number errors in the footnotes and some grammar errors in the text itself, which is odd because this is a later printing of these books. Definitely enjoyed, though!

(Bre)anne✨

TW to be added later

Solid book showing the stories of selected Greek heroes! Did feel a bit slow at times, but rating bumped up .25 stars because it ended with Theseus, and boy, did the way Fry write that one pulled me in. Worth noting there are multiple page number errors in the footnotes and some grammar errors in the text itself, which is odd because this is a later printing of these books. Definitely enjoyed, though!

Highly recommend if you love Greek mythology to get the audio book. Stephen Fry also narrates and he brings so much life to the numerous cast of characters. His writing is also captivating, adding in anachronisms where appropriate and never letting the text get to dry. This also feels like one of the more complete myth compilations, as Fry points out other versions that might be less popular or common is certain areas, and explains why such divergent explanations may occur. 

Katie Allard

Megan Johnson

A continuation of the amazing storytelling, humour and just overall brilliance of Stephen Fry. 
I have always enjoyed history and mythology and this is the best way to learn. Everything is so well explained and all links together in the best, well ordered, way. Next to read the history of Troy.

Celeste Richardson

Actual rating: 4.5 rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Chronicle Books) and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Stephen Fry is such a treasure. There’s something about his style of storytelling that can make even the most grotesque tales a delight to read. And when given the opportunity to listen to him reading his own words, I never pass it up. His verbal storytelling is even more entertaining than his writing, and I so enjoyed being able to simultaneously read and listen to this book and its prequel, Mythos.

Where Mythos told the stories of the Greek pantheon, from their inception to their deeds, Heroes recounts the tales of, well, heroes. Greek mythology relies almost as heavily on the exploits of heroes as it does on the fickle interference of the gods. In this book, Fry covers most of the more famous heroes of Ancient Greece. The greatest hits, if you will. Over the course of its more than 400 pages, Fry recounts in Heroes the tales of Perseus, Heracles, Bellerophon, Orpheus, Jason, Atalanta, Oedipus, and Theseus. I was at first confused by the omission of Achilles and Odysseus, but it was recently announced that Fry will be publishing a further volume, Troy, about the events of The Iliad and The Odyssey. But of the heroes covered, Fry did an excellent job really digging into their lives and presenting them as three-dimensional characters, shying away from neither their attributes nor their weaknesses. It’s easy to see how much research and care was put into the writing of this book and Mythos, and they manage to be both accessible to those unfamiliar with the stories and a fun way to revisit for those who are well exposed to the material.
“You see?' said Prometheus. 'It is your fate to be Heracles the hero, burdened with labours, yet it is also your choice. You choose to submit to it. Such is the paradox of living. We willingly accept that we have no will.”
Besides the sassy approach Fry takes to his storytelling, one of my favorite elements of both this book and Mythos is the inclusion of so much etymology. The origin of words and phrases has always fascinated me, and the same must be true of Fry for him to have includes so much information regarding those derivations. However, I honestly could have lived without some of that information. For instance, the origins of the terms Milky Way and galaxy as referring to Hera’s sprayed breast milk is something I did not know. Not sure I needed to know, but I know it I do. And I can’t un-know it.

Heroes seems a bit overly silly in tone compared to Mythos, but it’s still fun. I can’t get enough of Fry’s recounting of Greek mythology, and I will undoubtedly be rereading both of these books periodically. I can’t wait to get my hands on Troy, Fry’s retelling of the the Trojan War and the events that followed. These books are such a wonderfully easy way to brush up on your knowledge of Greek mythology, and ensure that you have a lot of fun while learning.

You can find  this review and more at Novel Notions.

Marloes

A great follow-up on Mythos, and I have rated this 5* mostly on readibility and how much I enjoyed it. I do see, however, that all complexity and details that make the Greek Mythology so interesting are left out. It was no dealbreaker for me.

The Greek Myths Reimagined

ok, so i am fairly familiar with greek mythology so i cannot necessarily say it was anything new for me. but since i am very soured towards most greek (male) heroes, i appreciated that it reminded me of how much fun mythos and heroic quests are. the section dedicated to jason and the argonauts was especially good and exciting.

other brilliant moments were medea killing her children, theseus (my worstie) killing the minotaur (it felt like a nod to 'house of asterion') and aegeus's death. i appreciate that this is a grim selection but i felt they were represented particularly dramatically and beautifully.

i would recommend getting the audiobook, especially if you are already familiar with the majority of the myths, as stephen fry's narration is excellent.

Laura

Even though I already know quite a lot about the Ancient Times, I really enjoy the books by Stephen Fry about the mythology of the Ancient Greeks. I have already read Mythos before, and there were multiple references to that in Heroes. 

Most of the stories in Heroes I had already (partly) heard about in Latin and Greek class or read about in Percy Jackson, but I still liked the stories, since they give a little extra depth inside the multiple characters and it creates connections in between the stories of for example Heracles and Theseus. 

I liked the story about Jason and the Argonauts the best, because I knew the least about him beforehand and it included so many heroes and great names I had heard about before, so it was nice to know the connections between Jason and other stories. 

I do prefer Mythos over Heroes, but I really enjoyed reading Heroes anyway. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the heroes of Ancient Greece and their stories, even if you think you already know a lot about them. 

If you liked this book, I recommend: Mythos by Stephen Fry; The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller; the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Fraser Simons

Of course, similar to Mythos. If you want a truncated and generally more humorous recounting of myths specific to heroes, this is the book for you. Fry, to his credit, even more often mentions alternative interpretations/tellings of some the myths. It’s definitely a bit more leaning toward artistic licence with the humour in this one. Sometimes it’s to cover up how much stuff doesn’t make sense—other times it to sort of punctuate or deflate an otherwise tense story. Incest, beastiality, rape, etc.

Iris

Molly Rae Stacy

Really solid collection. Better written than Mythos.

Sahi K

Stephen Fry’s narration style is definitely a lot of fun and this was nice to listen to as expected. But as I’m very unfamiliar with Greek mythology, I really couldn’t keep track of the heroes whose stories were being told. But the stories were cool, fascinating, full of twists and turns and betrayals - maybe if there were fewer stories and they were expanded upon more, the book might have been more memorable. Overall, a good one for a one time read. But may not be for readers well versed in the mythology.

Rose Stanley

A worthy successor to Mythos. 
I look forward to the inevitable retelling of the Iliad (and maybe also the Odyssey?) that seems (t0 me) to be heavily signposted here.

Nicola Sarah Brooks

I'm a huge mythology nerd and history in general geek so this book called to me. Add the fact that it's from Mr Fry and it was a slamdunk decision.

My only gripe really is that it's kind of been "dumbed-down". I know it's to help generate interest in those who are not geeky nerds like myself but it does make a disappointing read if you are, in any way, knowledgeable about classical mythology.

Hercules, as one example, has many interpretations and stories vary even from island to island in Greece. I felt that there should be more discussion about that and the historiography of the stories themselves.

Possibly best aimed at older kids and adults who have an interest in mythology but are not full blown geeks. Enough to whet the appetite but not enough to bog them down. Slightly disappointed. 3.5 stars really.

Anne Sofie Stavad

I liked it even more than I did the companion book Mythos!

Raya Georgieva

I loved both Mythos and Heroes. The greek mythology is wonderfully retold by Stephen Fry. The only thing is that sometimes you can't remember all the people who come and go but that's not Fry's fault since he managed them well and that's how we get he picture of how all of the "characters" are connected. I may or may not have liked Mythos a tiny bit more, because I generally prefer and have a soft spot for the gods and goddesses but still I recommend Heroes a lot and am eager to read the third part about Troy.

Jawahir M

Description Summary: The heroes you grew up with retold with a great showcase of storytelling from Stephen Fry on the basis of the original greek myths. More dramatic than Shakespeare and more disturbing than GRRM, welcome to Ancient Greece :)
Score: 4.5/5

Unlike Mythos where it centered on the early beginnings of life and the Olympians themselves, in Heroes Fry writes about the demi-gods and mortals who we came to label as heroic figures of myth and history. It splits to 8 main characters and are written as closely to a chronological timeline there can be (It is quite a mess to get everything chronologically written especially since you have so many conflicting original works and many more lost through time). You start with Perseus, famously known for slaying Medusa; the maiden with writhing snakes for hair and for one look you turn instantly to stone. Then we move to Heracles (aka Hercules) *Cue Disney Muses song*, Bellerophon is next famed for his pet companion the winged horse Pegasus (one of my favorite mythical creatures may I add). Orpheus and Jason are the next two heroes, with Orpheus having one of my favorite tales in this book. Then we hear about Atalanta ( A BADASS heroine who is SO UNDERRATED) before concluding with Oedipus and Theseus (Also liked his tale too). 

I liked Heroes more than Mythos mainly because it spoke about heroes (and a heroine) who were flawed yet saviors with the ability to bleed and perish. Thus it resonates more to me, and I found myself cheering them on as they went about their quests (except Oedipus...lord knows I found myself in a predicament). I do strongly recommend though you read Mythos first as it greatly helped me in understanding all of the predecessor events and the side stories which helps you understand the stories better.

Per usual Fry doesn't disappoint, his enthusiasm is infectious and his storytelling is immersive with a perfect tone and a choice of words fit for a reader in the 21th century. He understands how difficult it is to get this all in your head and he plays on that humorously creating a sincere relationship between reader and writer. 

Side note: Medea is such an interesting character because she appears in two tales, Jason's and Theseus's, and yet in both she is painted as this wicked vile witch who has an affinity for poisons and blood lusts. To be fair she truly is a villain, but she is so nefariously good at being bad I can't help but think she could have an amazing reimagined telling in novels or on screen.

Do I recommend? Ohhh yessss, it's rich as it is light. Though I do recommend reading Mythos first and definitely don't pay too much attention to the timeline of events (you'll get a migraine trying to arrange everything in order). Just enjoy it!

Lucas Coelho

I loved Mythos and Heroes is a good follow up. I just think Heroes are less interesting than Gods, in my opinion, so that detracted a bit on my investment in the book. Would still recommend.

Vladimir Udalov

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Jana Pashovska

This was my first experience with an audiobook, and it was a true pleasure to listen to the stories being narrated by Stephen Fry's incredible voice, but to be honest, I got quite bored with this book by the second half. Maybe it's because most of the stories of Greek heroes follow a sort of a formulaic pattern, or maybe I was already pretty familiar with most of them, but whatever it was, I wasn't that thrilled by this follow-up to 'Mythos'. Listening to Mr.Fry's narration did make up for some of the more boring parts, however, and this first encounter with the audiobook format was all in all, rather enjoyable (although I still much prefer reading the book myself).

Matthew Jackson &
Heroes by Stephen Fry

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