The best part about being a book reviewer and writing a column called “What the Hell Did I Just…” is that people randomly put books in my hand with the warning this is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever read. Recently, this turned out to be one of the funniest experiences in my recent memory.
Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No Bull-Shit Guide to World Mythology is one of those books that smacks you upside the head and refuses to let you be an intellectual hipster. Written by Cory O’Brien, the book features the myths of many different cultures and faiths, but with a sarcastic twist and a whole lot of random.
Among the stories that O’Brien tells are how Zeus became just like his father, how the entire Egyptian race was saved because the god Sekhmet got hammered, and how the Norse goddess Freyja once had crazy sex with four dwarves for a gold necklace.
This is one of those books that you casually grab intending to read one story to pass the time, and then two hours later discover you’ve read the entire thing cover to cover and every person in your general vicinity now thinks you are batshit crazy because you’ve been laughing out loud the entire time.
Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes is not for the easily offended. I warn people who are sensitive to swearing, discussions of random sexual terms, or weird about references to alcohol put the book down and back away slowly. I found most of it incredibly funny, but also know that this is a book I would hide from those under the age of 16.
Cory O’Brien’s book, Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No Bull-Shit Guide to World Mythology is available now. If you want a brief taste of his work, read the website that spawned this crazy book by visiting BetterMyths.com.
