Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review! I enjoyed the pacing and idea of this book, but I did not get most of the Greek mythology references. The style and form were somehow inspiring but admittedly not easy to understand and not the typical kind of poetry. A quick read nevertheless, I might return to it in the future.

I was so lost while reading these poems.
I don’t know much about Greek Mythology and I didn’t understand anything from this read. Also I didn’t enjoyed the prose like style the poems was written it was too complicated to understand.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me but I would say if you know a lot about Greek Mythology and like prose poetry then definitely give this one a read.

AnOther Mythology by Maxwell I. Gold lifted me up only to bring me down. The concept excited me - a reimagining of Hesiod’s Theogony and other mythological canon. The writing is fantastic but lacks expansion so each ‘poem’ felt unfinished. Gold had the potential to make this epic (in the original sense of the word) yet finishes each time at what feels like the very beginning. Reading this felt like walking through a gallery showcasing what could be, or what’s to come, without leaving with anything substantial.

And then, I read the author’s afterword and felt thoroughly disappointed. It reflects an attempt to criticise mythology without seeming to understand it, especially when Gold calls it ‘heteronormative’. Having studied Classics at degree level and having recently read Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Gold’s assessment seems a little tone deaf and superficial. There is so much to be found in mythology without the need to rewrite it in a way that utterly changes it.

While as a queer reader, aside from the use of ‘twink’ once and reimagining Persephone as a drag queen, this didn’t feel like the queer reimagining of myth Gold proposes it is… If anything it still read as ‘heteronormative’ as Gold imagines mythology to already be. Again, the word I would use is superficial.

AnOther Mythology lacks heart and depth. Mythology is vast and, of course, well within the realms to be criticised, but Gold’s assessment is weak and fails to put forward a sincere queer reimagining.

The way Gold writes was captivating and beautiful; each of the poems were easy to read and understand while also remaining full of emotion.

I also enjoy when poets play with the space they're given, and Gold did that well without having to fall back on it. It was used for emphasis and it worked.

I enjoyed this read - it was a quick, read-in-one-sitting book that I'll be happy to read again!

Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with this one. It just wasn't quite for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/author for a review ARC.

I'm always up for anything that tackles lore, fairytales or mythology, so a look at mythology through a queer lens utilizing prose poetry sounded interesting to me. The writing itself is very lyrical, but it is something that you need to sit with and examine. It's not light, and it's not meant to be. I thought it was a really good exploration of both well known myths and those that may not be well known to a lot of people, through a unique perspective.

My first encounter with the writers writing style. I love the way how Maxwell I. Gold has answered the question by writing a confrontational, challenging book of mostly prose poems, with the occasional spurt of traditional verse (as part of a poem, not the full one) that revels in changing and bending the rules instead of worrying about them.In anOther Mythology the reader is taken on a journey of the character’s self-discovery of being more than a mortal amongst Gods, and really, the reader does to.

I couldn't finish it after 30%. It was very hard to understand what the author tried to say, and I get the impression that many of the descriptions were far-fetched. Although there were bits and pieces I enjoyed, it was all to complex to the point that I found myself re-reading again but just getting more frustrated each time.

Thank you to Maxwell I. Gold, Interstellar Flight Press, and Netgalley for this free advanced reader copy of
"anOther Mythology: Poems" for an honest review.

As a massive fan of all things mythology, queer experiences, and poetry this was an intersection of all things I knew I had to have. While this didn't turn out to be my favorite kind of poetic reading experience, I enjoyed the visceral and raw nature of these poems and the stories we shared with the speakers therein.

(An additional shoutout to this awesome publisher for the physical copy I was offered & received after getting the Kindle one here! I will treasure this for a long time.)

I enjoyed this book. It’s funny how it was able to stick with me. I started reading this book Back in Oct, got away from reading for quite some time yet I still had this book with me when I picked it back up to finish it.

Read from September 21st, 2023 to September 22nd, 2023. Written on October 22nd, 2023.

This book of horror prose poetry was one of the best books I read in September. Just such an incredible way of writing, with compelling stories and chilling moments.

Read for your own enjoyment, enjoy reading it. Maxwell Gold really did something here and I cannot wait to own a physical copy of this.

Signing off,
B.

The first few poems left me a little confused, despite being queer myself and well-versed in various mythologies. However, as I progressed the emotions really started to hit - the misery of the closet; the pain of heteronormativity; the shame of existence as a queer person were all viscerally explored. As we come to the end things get more hopeful, with the final poem being a call to create anOther mythology, a new one that is inclusive and representative of all of us. In this collection, the various poems based on mythologies from around the world showcase heteronormativity in action and the oppression of queer people, and most importantly, they reflect on how oppression has shaped the way queer people view themselves. It was thought-provoking but also hopeful in the end, and I enjoyed it, overall!

This is such a fascinating prose collection. I really loved the twists on familiar myths and the way it was made new.

Prose poetry can be very hit or miss for me and unfortunately this collection just did not work for me. I liked the concept that was being explored but found the execution lacking.

DNF @ 36%

It’s just really not for me. I thought it would be because I love Greek Mythology, but nope. Maybe I’ll come back to it in a few years and like it more once I know even more about Greek mythology but idk. Not my type of poetry I guess.

actual rating: 3.5

I don't read a lot of poetry but it had been awhile and this looked interesting so I decided to pick it up. Overall a very short read with some interesting concepts. Definitely more on the prose poetry side than anything else so that was probably helpful to me but I know some people don't like it. Glad I picked it up since it's a bit different than what I've been reading lately.

This is a really cool concept but for me there were few times the execution was successful and I think there's a few reasons why:
-the concept grabs at a wider audience than the form can be received by. Essentially I think some of the experimental stuff doesn't hit with the audience the cover and blurb will reach. That's not to say the content is "bad" but maybe that I'm not it's intended reader, but you wouldn't know that from what you can see outside
-the mythology references were very complex and obscure. I have studied classics formally and still felt lost at times. Again, that doesn't make it poor, I just think the promised product vs the actual are quite different

Overall I wish I could have gotten into this more, but I'm going to have to go away and study first which I felt disappointed by and a tad misled by the marketing really

Having said that this is a clearly talented mind and I'd love to try returning to this when I know more

anOther Mythology by Maxwell I. Gold

If you haven’t gotten on the Maxwell I. Gold train yet, I don’t know what you are doing with your reading life.

In anOther Mythology (that title is so gotdamn clever and you will understand it once you read the book, I promise) the reader is taken on a journey of the character’s self-discovery of being more than a mortal amongst Gods, and really, the reader does to.

This is not to be read quietly and to yourself, you need to read each word aloud, forcing the words to come alive in the universe. I’m serious. I read this to my six year old for bedtime and she was captivated. The way Gold conjures images in the readers mind and they dance off your tongue with each word… remarkable.

Want proof? Here are some of my favorite lines:

“Fear, the leathery serpent-boy who slunk across the dark musty innards betwixt star and broken dreams of the universe, danced atop crumbs of dread, forever smeared beneath him.” (Say those words aloud and tell me I’m wrong!)

“Doomed to care for these wild unfortunates who glide through His lips, His sloppy seconds.”

“…granite eyes peering into my soul where he found the missing piece of his metal heart.”

Gold stuns my literary heart AND mind every time I read the newest release. I’m a fangirl through and through.

An OFF THE CHARTS, DOUBLE RECOMMENDATION 20/5.

Although I thought this poetry collection was a rather creative approach to reimagining Greek Mythology, I felt that the poems should have been more concrete character-wise; in trying to emulate depth, it occasionally came across as shallow instead.

Despite that, I still enjoyed the inclusion of queerness and horror elements, which at least gave this collection its uniqueness.

While not something truly outstanding, it's still rather bold and original.

I think I'm gonna need to read through this one again, because I don't think I understood it properly, and my raiting may change afterwards, but for now

This was beautiful prose, the creation of a new mythos while taking from the old, weaving short but beautiful scenes and images that kept my attention
i just wish that these new stories had names, if a new mythology is what the author wanted to create. It is far easier to remember and dream of the stories of Persephone, Medusa, Apollo and the likes and relate to their troubles when they are recurring names that you can put an image to. These stories didn't have that, the characters more concepts than anything else, which is nice in its own way, but not something I'd wish of a mythology