Isaac Asimov has organized a large portion of Greek mythology around a specific theme, the effect of mythological words and phrases on our language. Derivations of hundreds of words in daily use are surrounded by enchanting stories that will fascinate the young reader. The first several chapters deal with the Greek Gods, the Titans and their conquerors the Olympians, and the Demigods and Monsters. The Heroes, offspring of gods and humans, and the general mythological treatment of men, follow. The myth, interesting in itself, is used as reference to illustrate a particular word or concept in English. A concluding index helps unravel a skein of information. This is a generally enlivening approach to mythology.
Pub Date: Feb. 27, 1961
ISBN: 0451166868
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1961
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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