Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics)
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Book Reviews of Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics)
Book Review: Great source on Egypt Mythology
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a translation into English of many Egyptian myths. It is a great learning tool for kids of any age, and especially great for homeschoolers who are using Story of the World for History.Book Review: Excellent source!
Summary: 5 Stars
The stories are written well, in a fun-to-read and interesting tone. Read aloud with my kids, this book has been a fun AND educational experience for my family :)Book Review: Important in the history of civilization
Summary: 4 Stars
I am certainly no expert on Egyptian mythology, so I can't say whether this collection of Egyptian myths is complete, accurate or any better or worse than any other collection of Egyptian myths.
All that I can review, therefore, are the stories themselves, which is rather awkward. It's a bit like reviewing the Bible - where do you start to "critique" stories that were written thousands of years ago and which were handed down both orally and in written form for many generations? The stories are what they are. We read them not solely for the enjoyment (or lack thereof) that the stories may offer, but to understand the history and culture of our long-ago ancestors who shaped the beginnings of our civilization.
The first third of the book deals with stories of the gods, beginning with Amen-Ra, the father of all gods and his creation of the world, moving through more familiar gods such as Isis, Osiris and Horus to lesser known gods such as Khnemu and Queen Hatshepsut. These I found the least engaging of the stories as they are more like brief bios of the gods, listing their notable achievements as it were. There's not a lot of narrative development or plot building.
The latter two sections - tales of magic and tales of adventure - are more like stories as we know them - more dynamic characters interacting and intriguing against each other in ways that creates interesting, suspenseful plots which engage the reader. The stories of magic can be hard for Western readers to appreciate, as the Egyptians accepted magic as a given, much like we accept science. The concept of a "Ka" or double, for instance, is quite alien to Western readers, nor do we tend to fully comprehend the elaborate rituals and knowledge surrounding their treatment and experience of death.
Nonetheless, these stories, like all myths and legends, connect and resonate with deeper parts of ourselves which are attuned to the universal themes and archetypes in human experience. "The Book of Thoth", for instance, presents the attraction and the danger of possessing the powerful knowledge of the gods. "Se-Osiris and the Sealed Letter" is about justice and the satisfaction of defeating an enemy. "The Tale of Two Brothers" is about the love between two brothers and the power of women to corrupt that love. "The Story of the Greek Princess" is an intriguing Egyptian take on "The Iliad".
All the stories offer glimpses of Egyptian religion, government, culture, family relationships and ideas of justice and morality. As with Biblical stories, some of these views are difficult to square with Western norms and values. For instance, while there are some notable women figures - queens and goddesses - mostly women are treated as property to be bestowed as gifts of favor and/or as divisive forces who have corruptive power over men. Young readers especially need to be aware of the context of such views in the ancient world
Understanding of ancient civilizations is important for understanding our own experience in the world, as it shows us both the commonality of human experience, as well as how the world has progressed. The Egyptian empire was one of the longest lasting empires in history. Studying the best and worst of their society can help us improve our own.
Book Review: Not for young kids...
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered this for our homeschooled second grader, on recommendation from our curriculum company. I'm glad I read it first! There are many instances of incest and violence in the stories...which are fairly accurate renditions of Egyptian mythology, so I guess I should not have been surprised. I guess I expected it to be toned down in a book recommended for younger children. I, however, found it interesting and read the whole book in one evening. It's not challenging material for an adult, but it was interesting and I learned a few things about Ancient Egyptian culture that I can use in teaching. My kids won't be reading it until they are older. :) I give it four stars only because it was not what I expected from the recommendation. It could be that the book was not intended to be recommended to that age group and the fault may lie with the company who recommended it to me...I don't know. I do not regret the purchase and will use the book when talking about world religions with my children when they are older.Book Review: Nice introduction to Egyptian mythology
Summary: 4 Stars
Only thing I would caution future buyers about is that if you're buying this to share with younger age kids, the book lacks illustrations.
Our girls were captivated by the stories, but they wanted to also "see" them while we were reading them ...