The Dictionary of Classical Mythology

Author: Zimmerman, John Edward.

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: A Bantam Book / published by arrangement with Harpers & Row.(1980)
• Language English
• Price: $8

This review is from: The Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Paperback)

Zimmerman's classical dictionary is one of the best for an introduction to classical myth and classical dictionaries. The book manages to avoid the story-telling of strictly popular "myth books" and to avoid information that will be extraneous to a novice reader. At the same time, each entry gives sources, so readers know, for example, that the story of Philomela was covered Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Sidney, Keats, and a host of others as well as Apollodorus. In other words, it is a fantastically useful resource for readers of English literature as well as classical. The affordability of the volume (and the portability of it) has made it an absolutely essential first-buy for anyone serious about reading. Even when working in the most precise and demanding forms of editing and annotation of literature, Zimmerman's book is still the first-grab, first-glance entry point to further research.