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Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No-Bullshit Guide To World Mythology (2013)

by Cory O'Brien(Favorite Author)

3.22 of 5 Votes: 6

ISBN

039916040X (ISBN13: 9780399160400)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Perigee Trade

review 1: The gods must be crazy. They’re also bloodthirsty, drunk and horny. Author Cory O’Brien retells ancient mythological stories in crude and hilarious detail in “Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes.” He picks myths from across the globe and at various points in time. This ranges from Egyptian mythology all the way up to American. Yes, American. Just how irreverent and silly is this book? Here are some chapter titles to try on for size, “Cronus Likes to Eat Babies,” “Thor Gets Hammered,” “Ganesh Is the Very Definition of an Unplanned Pregnancy” and “The Ancient Sumerians Knew How to Party.” These are some of the cleaner titles, too, by the way. At times, this book is casually blasphemous and really, really gross.The book reads like you’re in a world mythology c... morelass and you’re out at a bar with the smartest, funniest dude in class and you’re studying for a test. It’s hilarious, foul and fantastic. O’Brien simultaneously celebrates and skewers these tales.There are a handful of typos and grammatical errors, which are a little distracting. But all in all, it’s a fun and quick read. If you’re already familiar with mythology and have a wicked sense of humor, be sure to pick this one up.
review 2: Imagine various myths and folktales as told by a belligerently drunk comedian. On Tumblr. IDK, it's hard to describe the style of humor in this book. let's just say "irreverent" doesn't seem like a strong enough word. But don't be fooled by the apparently superficial retellings: this guy has some interesting stuff to say about the purpose of myth and why we should still care and how the story of the Big Bang isn't all that fundamentally different from the other creation stories in this book. As someone with a degree in religious studies, I approve wholeheartedly of his analysis. Additional bonus features include a section on U.S. folklore, an explanation of Scientology, and giving the Old Testament the same silly treatment he gives to other religious texts. And I actually learned a little, or at least enough to go looking for more info. Honestly, I can't recommend this book (or the author's blog) highly enough. less

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