Heroes

I downloaded all the books of the Mythos series by Stephen Fry the moment I finished the first chapter of its first book, Mythos. That’s a testament to Fry’s genius primarily.

This is a loose follow-up to Mythos, and while Mythos talked about the Greek gods, in Heroes, we hear about the humans elevated to the status of demi-gods who go on long quests to defeat monsters, animals, and fellow humans. Along the way, we see these heroes indulging in politics, infidelity, brutality, etc. They are not unlike the Greek gods that were so (in)famous for all the aforementioned traits, among many others. But despite all of that, or perhaps because of it, it’s fascinating to hear of “heroes” like Heracles, Perseus, or Theseus. Their provenance, their tumultuous journey, and the eventual demise of most. The influence these heroes had on civilization throughout the ages is right up there with Greek gods such as Zeus, Apollo, or Hermes. It’s not uncommon to see mythological allusions such as “Ship of Theseus” or “Wings of Icarus” being used in common parlance.

I think it’s futile for me to talk more about the contents of this book, for it’s so interesting and amusing, I’d be doing a disservice. But I would not shy away from praising the experience of listening to this audiobook. Fry’s ability to flow smoothly from one topic/hero to another, to produce voices for various characters, to add exclamations, and to inject contemporary references in between the chapters, all of this makes for an absolutely delightful listening experience. A must-read if you’re looking for something lighthearted, fun, and mythological.