Most mythology readers arrived by one of 2 doors. Either Percy Jackson and a childhood of gods and monsters, or Circe and the run of myth retellings that followed it. The first kind wants more stories. The second wants more novels.
There's a third, smaller group who've started reading Homer. They're the easiest to buy for, because the good translations are recent and handsome.
| They want | The gift | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| The Greek myths, told well | Mythos · Stephen Fry (2017) | The creation stories and the gods, told in the voice of a good uncle. The first of 4. Heroes, Troy and Odyssey follow, so next year's gift is sorted too. |
| The Norse myths, told well | Norse Mythology · Neil Gaiman (2017) | Odin, Thor and Loki from the making of the world to Ragnarök, in about 300 pages. Short chapters, easy to read aloud. |
| A novel | Circe · Madeline Miller (2018) | The witch from the Odyssey gets her own life story. The book that started the retelling boom, and still the best of them. |
| A novel, and they've read Circe | The Song of Achilles · Madeline Miller (2011) | The Iliad as a love story, told by Patroclus. Bring tissues. |
| The real thing | The Odyssey · Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (2017) | Plain modern English in the same number of lines as the Greek. The first translation a newcomer can read for the plot. |
| The real thing, part 2 | The Iliad · Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (2023) | Same translator, harder poem. A good gift for someone who already has her Odyssey. |
| The reference book | Mythology · Edith Hamilton (1942) | The standard one-volume guide for 80 years. There's an illustrated anniversary edition that makes a better present than the mass-market paperback. |
| Something for a child | D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths (1962) | Big, strange, hand-drawn. Generations of mythology adults started here, usually around age 7. |
| More than Greece and Scandinavia | 365 Days of Mythology · ours | A myth a day from 30+ pantheons. Greek and Norse are here, and so are Egyptian, Hindu, Japanese, Yoruba and Aztec stories. Starts January 1. ★4.7 across 34 Amazon ratings. |
Greek or Norse?
If they came through Marvel films or God of War, it's Norse, and Gaiman is the gift. Percy Jackson, Hades or a classics class means Greek, and you're choosing between Fry and Miller.
Fry is for people who want to know the stories. Miller suits readers who know them already and want to feel them. Our beginner's guides to Greek and Norse mythology lay out the reading order for each.
For teenagers
A teenager who loved Rick Riordan is ready for Mythos and probably for Circe. Wilson's Odyssey is the stretch gift: it's the real poem, and a 15-year-old can read it.
If they're more into wizards than gods, the mythology behind Harry Potter shows where the two overlap.
The page-a-day option
Most mythology books stop at the Mediterranean. 365 Days of Mythology is on this list for the reader who's done Greece and wants to meet Anansi and Amaterasu as well.
Each story is one page, so it won't replace Fry for depth. It's the wide book, and the others here are the deep ones.
Editions matter more here than elsewhere
Mythology books get kept and reread, so hardcovers earn their price. Fry's series, Wilson's Homer and the illustrated Hamilton are all nicer objects in hardback, and none of them cost much more that way.
Common questions
What is a good gift for someone who loves Greek mythology?
Stephen Fry's Mythos if they want the stories retold, Madeline Miller's Circe if they want a novel, or Emily Wilson's translation of the Odyssey if they're ready for Homer. All 3 come in handsome hardcovers.
What is a good gift for someone who loves Norse mythology?
Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology (2017). It covers the main cycle from creation to Ragnarök in short chapters and works for teenagers and adults. Our Norse beginner's guide lists what to read after it.
What mythology book is good for a child?
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths for ages 6 to 10. For a reader who has finished Percy Jackson, Stephen Fry's Mythos is the usual next step.
Which should I give first, Mythos or Circe?
Mythos for someone who wants to learn the myths, Circe for someone who mostly reads fiction. Circe is more fun if you know a little of the Odyssey, though it doesn't require it.
Is there a mythology book that covers more than Greek and Norse myths?
365 Days of Mythology covers 30+ pantheons at a page a day, including Egyptian, Hindu, Japanese, Celtic, Yoruba and Aztec stories.