image I loved this book.  It was one of those things that you look up on Amazon because it was mentioned in some off-hand way in some article that you now can’t remember, and then added it to your wish list, because why not, and then bought because you needed an extra $8 to qualify for Super-Saver Shipping when pre-ordering the next Harry Potter installment.  Or at least that’s how it happened with me.  At any rate, I loved this book. 

The book tells some familiar and some pretty obscure stories of goddesses, except the author tells them the way they were before Disney got a hold of them.  For instance, did you know that Snow White knew all seven dwarves REALLY well, like in the Biblical sense? image  The stories are told in a way that would make the Religious Right cringe because they include all the burps, farts and sex that make the goddesses more human.  Plus the stories are just too damn empowering.  Not to say that all the goddesses featured are the feminist ideal.  There are a number that made really stupid choices, and some that were down right evil.  But that’s the point, the stories are not whitewashed.  The book did have a couple annoying little things, most notably that the author actually wrote “don’t try this at home” in a couple of the stories.  It didn’t really come off as funny, because she actually added it everywhere.  Maybe she had a lawyer reading over her shoulder and nudging once in a while to put one in wherever she may possibly be sued because some idiot does a Jackass-like stunt and blames it on her book.  It made me wonder whom she thought her target audience was, because honestly, its most likely people just like me.  This is what I mean: “Maddened by grief and rage, [Kannaki] wanted to punish the entire city of Madura.  With superhuman strength born of fury, she twisted off her own left breast. (Warning: Do not try this, at home or anywhere!)”  I mean, really, do you think I’m going to even THINK about doing that?  That sort of warning is sprinkled into every other story, or at least it seems that way, and it really started to get on my nerves.  The only other thing that I didn’t like about the book was the tone.  It was written in a very casual, sitting around a campfire telling stories kind of way.  This really is perfect for telling myths, but still it got on my nerves once in a while.  However, it didn’t really detract from the overall experience.

image In addition to the stories, there are some little facts sprinkled here and there, which I enjoy immensely.  I’m a sucker for Pop-Up Video too.  This one was a particularly good gem: “The Aztec goddess Coatlicue was another one to avoid if you happened to be a guy.  She wore a necklace of skulls, like Kali, and a skirt made from the severed penises of her castrated lovers.”  Like I said, it was a fun read.

—hathyr

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