Review: Canongate Myth Series, Books #1 - #3

Note: I'm not reviewing the content of any of The Myths today, just the external packaging.

The Myths is a long-term global publishing project where some of the world's most respected authors re-tell myths in a manner of their own choosing.

I was very excited when I first heard about this project from Scottish publishing house Canongate. Classic myths being retold in a contemporary way. Easily recognisable stories being handed to some of the best authors out there, so they can polish the meaning, breath new life into these ancient archtypes and make them accessible to modern audiences.

Awesome. And epic. This series only just started and it's planning to get to a century.

So of course I bought the hardcover box set, featured below. This set has the first three books; A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, Weight by Jeanette Winterson and also a small inclusion by Philip Pullman A Word or Two About Myth.

A Short History of Myth is more of an overview of myth in general, and what the myths we know today meant to different periods of our human history.

The Penelopiad Homer's Odyssey told from his wife's perspective

Weight The overlapping story of Atlas and Heracles, and a poignant take on the way Heracles tricked Atlas into taking back the world

The Myths!

So first we have the box, which is patterned with cave drawings, appropriately enough. There's also gold writing on the back, detailing the books, and the little Canongate Myths Symbol also in gold.
The box itself is made of thick board - not flimsy at all, I could probably rest my monitor on it.

The hardcovers each have decorative jackets. They look all the same inside the jackets.

I'm not sure if you can see the text, but the chapters are printed in a deep red. Some of the words in the foreward are also printed in the same deep red and the contents pages have the same theme... very pretty.



I bought the boxset and I'm more than pleased with it. The editions are of a high quality, some of the best editions i've seen in a while.


Just one last note: these books are more novellas, they do not take long to read, but they are worth it! Really recommend these, pick your favourite author up to see how they teach old dogs to play pianos.



Find out more about the myths series here:
http://www.themyths.co.uk/