Many of the world's travails may be traced to the displacement of mythology by the age of science. Knowledge today is often deemed useful only if it enlarges our possessions or raises our station in society. If instead, the criterion were to make us happier and more virtuous, mythology would have retained its proper place in society.

The Age of Fable is Thomas Bulfinch's brilliant reconstruction of the ancient myths and legends that form the backbone of western culture. Drawn from a variety of classic sources, including Ovid's Metamorphoses, Egyptian myths, Eastern mythology, and Hindu, Norse, and Celtic works, these selections form a remarkable tapestry of human endeavor: dreams, illusions, adventures, and loves. Included are the legends of Cupid and Psyche, Venus and Adonis, Hero and Leander, Hercules, and many others.