Popular European Mythology Books

Find mythology books written by authors from Europe for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (33)

21.

The Iliad by Homer EN

Rating: 4 (10 votes)
Country: Europe / Greece flag Greece
Description:
High on Olympus, Zeus and the assembled deities look down on the world of men, to the city of Troy where a bitter and bloody war has dragged into its tenth year, and a quarrel rages between a legendary warrior and his commander. Greek ships decay, men languish, exhausted, and behind the walls of Troy a desperate people await the next turn of fate. This is the Iliad: an ancient story of enduring power; magnetic characters defined by stirring and momentous speeches; a panorama of human lives locked in a heroic struggle beneath a mischievous or indifferent heaven. Above all, this is a tale of the... continue

22.

The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Greece flag Greece
Description:
Robin Hard is Tutor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Reading.

23.

The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony by Roberto Calasso EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Italy flag Italy
Description:
Presenting the stories of Zeus and Europa, Theseus and Ariadne, the birth of Athens and the fall of Troy, in all their variants, Calasso also uncovers the distant origins of secrets and tragedy, virginity, and rape. "A perfect work like no other. (Calasso) has re-created . . . the morning of our world."--Gore Vidal. 15 engravings.

24.

The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov EN

Rating: 3 (2 votes)
Country: Europe / Bulgaria flag Bulgaria
Description:
Using the myth of the Minotaur as its organising image, the narrator of Gospodinov's long-awaited novel constructs a labyrinth of stories about his family, jumping from era to era and viewpoint to viewpoint, exploring the mind-set and trappings of Eastern Europeans. Shortlisted for prizes around the world, Georgi Gospodinov's thrilling new novel will appeal to fans of Dave Eggers, Tom McCarthy and Dubravka Ugresic for its unique structure, humanitarian concerns and stunning storytelling.

25.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Description:
A horror debut by one of Britain's most celebrated up-and-coming writers, in which four friends get lost in a forest in Sweden, to find their lives are in mortal peril... as something evil lurks.

26.

The Saga of the Volsungs by author unknown, Jesse L. Byock (translator) EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Iceland flag Iceland
Description:
One of the great books of world literature--an unforgettable tale of jealousy, unrequited love, greed, and vengeance. Based on Viking Age poems and composed in thirteenth-century Iceland, The Saga of the Volsungs combines mythology, legend, and sheer human drama in telling of the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer, who acquires runic knowledge from one of Odin's Valkyries. Yet the saga is set in a very human world, incorporating oral memories of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. In his illuminating... continue

27.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker EN

Rating: 2 (1 vote)
Description:
A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURY 'Chilling, powerful, audacious' The Times 'Magnificent. You are in the hands of a writer at the height of her powers' Evening Standard There was a woman at the heart of the Trojan War whose voice has been silent - until now. Discover the greatest Greek myth of all - retold by the witness that history forgot . . . Briseis was a queen until her city was destroyed. Now she is a slave to the man who butchered her husband and brothers. Trapped in a world defined by men, can she survive to become the author of her own story? THE PERFECT GIFT FOR FANS OF MADEL... continue

28.

The White Stag by Kate Seredy EN

0 Ratings
Country: Europe / Hungary flag Hungary
Description:
Winner of the Newbery Medal For generations the tribes of Huns and Magyars had moved relentlessly westward, obeying the voices of their pagan gods, which compelled them to follow the elusive white stag to their promised homeland. They swept Europe, all the while pursuing their vision of the stag. Their leader was called Attila, and the land Hungary. Here is the epic story of their tribal migration and their fierce leader—known to us even today. “The wonder of a fairy tale, the stirring romance of a heroic legend, rounded out with the color, atmosphere, and poetry of this artist’s retelling of ... continue

29.

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Description:
Angrboda's story begins where most witch's tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to give him knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into a remote forest. There she is found by a man Loki, and her initial distrust grows into a deep and abiding love. Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who she is keen to raise at the hidden from Odin's all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life - and possibly all of existence - is in danger.

30.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou EN

Rating: 4 (1 vote)
Country: Europe / Greece flag Greece
Description:
“Dripping with atmosphere and edged with danger, Threads That Bind weaves together a gorgeous dark tapestry of mystery, fated romance, and modern myth. You won’t be able to put this one down.” —Alexandra Bracken, New York Times bestselling author of Lore In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city, for fans of Song of Achilles. Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to... continue