I found the book informative but I also found that frequently too much information was given. The relationships between the various gods are complex and I felt that they were thrown at me in rapid succession. Even in chapters dedicated to a specific god, so many other gods were mentioned that I couldn’t keep track. I also didn’t feel any of the author’s enthusiasm for the subject. I did feel, however, that McKie did a great job of being non-judgemental and did not mock any of the gods. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the digital review copy.

I LOVE this book.

Not only does it give information and stories about gods and goddesses I have heard of, but also introduces many of other cultures that I was not aware of. It goes further, and describes how many are similar in many cultures. I am so excited to share this book with my students. We study beginning of civilizations to the early 1400s and look at many different cultures in this study. I can share gods and goddesses from other cultures now, not just the ones in Greece, Rome, and Norse lands.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Gods Behaving Badly by John McKie
This is an entertaining and informative account of deities worshipped across the world in different cultures and at different times. So, as well as the classical deities, there are mentions of Egyptian, Asian and Latin American gods.

The title is slightly misleading, since all of these gods simply behave in that slightly controlling yet random way which deities have. There’s less than you might expect about Dionysus organising parties and Zeus dressing up as an animal for licentious purposes!

It would have been nice to see a lengthier discussion about the similarities between gods from different cultures and places. For example, the afterlife features somewhere in most cultures where there are deities and there are typically gods of fertility and love, and mischievous gods who can be blamed for almost anything. It would also have been interesting to consider what psychological needs or experiences drive people to follow deities and whether links across cultures in history have led to the transmission of stories about gods.

Monotheistic religions do not feature but there is clearly something to be said about what they owe to more primitive – or possibly simply alternative – versions.

Having said all that, it is an entertaining read as well as educational and readers can do the connections for themselves!

An interesting read, not exactly a page turner but it not written to be. A welcome change to my usual reading preferences

“Gods Behaving Badly” by John McKie

I really liked this book. There was so much interesting lore of different cultures gods and talks about the good and bad of the gods and how some gods get vilified and other nefarious acts are brushed under the rug. I definitely recommend people to read this book. I liked how the book was structured and wasn’t confused when the subject was changed. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Over the millennia, there have been hundreds of mythological gods belonging to many different civilizations. Only a few of them are completely virtuous and most of them indulge in some form of bad behavior, some more than others. They can murder, cheat, trick, and otherwise take revenge on both humans and deities alike. Some are condemned, while others escape with impunity.

A fun and informative look at the bad side of mythological deities.