Bulfinch's Mythology (Canterbury Classics)

I've read a lot of mythology and legends in my 30+ years on Earth. I've read D'aulaire's illustrated classics and Edith Hamilton. It doesn't matter if it's Greek, Roman, or even Norse. I find all of it interesting and fascinating. In fact, my wife is the same way. We hope to pass on this love of mythology to our son, so we are buying him mythology books at an early age, so that when he is old enough to appreciate them, they'll be ready and waiting for him. One book we recently added to our collection was Bulfinch's Mythology.

Bulfinch's Mythology is a gorgeous leather edition, with the face of Medusa on the cover. The pages have gilded edges and there is a ribbon bookmark to mark your place. The book contains all three of the original titles, "The Age of Fable," "The Age of Chivalry," and "The Legends of Charlemagne." "The Age of Fable" not only includes Greek and Roman mythology, but brief mentions of Eastern mythology, Norse mythology, and the Druids. "The Age of Chivalry" begins with the legend of King Arthur and his knights, leads into Mabinogen (early British prose), and concludes with the likes of Beowulf and Robin Hood. Lastly, "The Legends of Charlemagne" discusses the paladins of Charlemagne.

I skimmed through the parts on mythology and Arthur, as I am very well-versed in those subjects, so for me, the parts on Charlemagne were the best. The legends surrounding him and his paladins were a refreshing read. Were they chock full of history? No, but I didn't expect them to be. They were legends that made for fanciful tales and were a delightful read. The edition of this book was a delight to read and would make a good textbook for the high school classroom or homeschooling parent. So far, I have reviewed two books from the Canterbury Classics and each have been impressive in their quality. Highly recommended.

This book was provided to me for free by Thunder Bay Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!