I had to read this book for school. And as a greek/roman mythology nerd, I have to say this was a disappointment. I had low expectations for a book of greek/roman mythology's most brutal and tragic stories adapted for not only children but pre-civil war American children. And even then, it still managed to disappoint me. Hawthorne mentions at least once in every short story, that >insert actual myth here< is totally made up and that >insert whatever Hawthorne decided better suited his tastes< is the real story. The only reason I gave this one star is the Minotaur which even with Hawthorne's "more proper" corrections, I enjoyed. In the original myths, Theseus is at best a moron, at worst a straight-up jerk. But in this one, he's a (still a bit ditzy) but loveable hero, and if you read between the lines, nicely counters Ariadne's level-headed-ness.