I was thrilled when my copy of Jaan Puhvel’s Comparative Mythology showed up on my doorstep. It was a busy week for all package deliverers driving down my block. Puhvel’s book arrived, as did J.P. Mallory’s In Search of the Indo-Europeans (a title my husband was interested in), Kevan Manwaring’s The Bardic Handbook, and ADF Senior Priest, Rev. Michael Dangler’s companion to the ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year, A Journal of Things Done.

Like I said, busy week.

I’ve shelved The Bardic Handbook for now – one new learning system at a time, please. I anticipate bringing it out if I should encounter any creative dry spells. Rev. Dangler’s Journal was a terrific purchase. It’s a must have for anyone who ever excelled at workbook-style learning (a little structure and guidance can go a long way). I put it straight to use.

Now, the Puhvel book. Let me tell you about the Puhvel book.

This is not a book to read. This is a book to reference. All it took was the Introduction and about three pages of the first section to figure this out.

No disrespect to Puhvel. He’s smart. Uber smart. And I’m sure that there’s plenty of valuable information in this book. I just think my brain might break into a billion bits if I try to read it cover to cover. And I don’t really think he wrote it for me to read. I think he wrote it for academia, and I don’t know if he means for them to read it either. It’s a good text, but not really a good read.

I think I’m going reach across the bed and steal my husband’s copy of In Search of the Indo-Europeans. I’ll let him take a stab at the impenetrable tome.