Short but informative title. I really enjoyed the tone, and it was a very easy read. Planning to add it to the library collection.

Thus book shows how Aphrodite has been depicted in both the classical times and the modern era. Bettany Hughes shows how Aphrodite is still an important symbol today for many women. This was a short study on Aphrodite, and I wish it was longer. I also wished Mrs. Hughes would include a few more myths about Aphrodite. Still, it was a very thorough comprehensive account of her cult. I recommend this fans of Greek mythology!

This was a short book that still managed to be informative. I really enjoyed it and I liked the writing tone of the author, it made the book easier to read in some way and more fun since it was more on the conversational side. The topics covered throughout also managed to capture my interest, although I feel like a lot of them could have been elaborated on a lot more. Overall, if you're interested in the history of Aphrodite and want to learn more about her, I'd recommend this a beginner read.

A short, but effective, impressive, and profound book. It doesn't skimp on details, and at the same time it does not abuse descriptions; it's an excellent middle ground. I loved that it had a simple style, without the complex and technical language that is in almost all academic books, although I feel that it could have been extended more in some chapters.

Although I can without a doubt say this book was “interesting” it was not the type of book I enjoy reading. A bit too scientific for my taste to be categorized as an “enjoyable “ read.

I will however never deny that learning anything knew puts a smile on my face, for this reason alone, I will recommend this book.

This was a really good read, I can't wait to read more from this author though I did wish for more background details.

I was really looking forward to this book, and I was not disappointed! this was an easy-to-read book that encapsulated the story of the deity, her treatment over time, and the author's progressively more enthralling thoughts perfectly, and the writing was beautiful!

A short, engaging cultural and religious history of Aphrodite and Venus, focused on how she developed (through the melding of several middle eastern gods, including Isis moving west), what she represented (originally, all of the violent passions, love included!), and how she has been used in western societies since then. It was especially interesting to see how many aspects of Venus' rituals have likely persisted in Virgin Mary worship across the Mediterranean and also very interesting how Renaissance and Victoria misogyny defanged much of the passion and agency from Aphrodite, leaving a passive object of lust (the Venus de Milo statue gets a lot of stick here). And who knew that Freud was a classics scholar and had several statues of Venus and Eros in his office?

The final chapter sums up the messy life and use of the goddess thusly: "The ancients understood that desire is worthy of respect. Human relations of all kinds are hard....Perhaps then, it is best to think of her as the Greeks did: the goddess who mixes things up....Aphrodite-Venus, the heavenly, Paphian queen, is far more than just a gorgeous goddess of love; she is an incarnation of, and a guide through, the messy, troubling, quixotic, quickening business of mortal life."

It felt like not a lot of history was getting across in this book. At times it felt like a lot of stuff was just being thrown out there and being overalls explained. The author also talked a lot about their experiences which wasn’t really what I wanted or was expecting to read. The writing was kind of off for me. Used a lot of photos of artifacts without explaining why they were even there

This was an insightful and enjoyable read. The play between modern and classical was well done. I came away with a wealth of new knowledge and interesting new perspectives. I will be seeking out other titles by their author.

I love all things Greek and Egyptian mythology, so of course when I saw this on NetGalley I immediately requested an ARC. Hughes did a fantastic job explaining not only the origins and myths of Aphrodite/Venus, but how those myths impacted civilization. I enjoyed reading about other cultures (I.e. Babylonian) and their version of her ... I've not read much on Babylonian mythology so it was a nice addition. It's nonfiction but it is short enough that it doesn't feel like a heavy read. She also writes in a way that you feel like you're just having a chat over some tea which makes it that more enjoyable. This is the first work by Hughes I've read and I hope she comes out with more like this, particularly Babylonian (any culture mythology other than the overdone Greek and Roman).

Thank you to NetGalley and Basic Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Aphrodite/Venus is my favourite Greek/Roman goddess. Well, it is no surprise really considering she is the ruling goddess of my star sign but also because she has always fascinated me. Compared to all the ancient gods and goddesses of Greek/Roman mythology, Aphrodite seems to be a lot more complex and has a lot of layers to her history and personality. For the ancient Greeks she was born from the sea- a symbol of love, desire, sensuality and sexuality. For civilizations before the Greeks and Romans, she exists as a goddess of fertility and harmony and a warrior goddess of war and conflict in the images of Astar and Ishtar. No matter what her image and function has been over the centuries- both idolatry and trivial, Aphrodite still remains an alluring goddess figure and inspiration whether it be art or literature or culture.

Venus and Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire is described as a cultural history of the goddess and a cultural history it is, and one that will not bore you as it is short and interesting.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Perseus Books/Basic Books and the author Bettany Hughes for the e-Arc of the book.

The book was published on 22nd September 2020. I finished reading this book in the first week of October and apologise for sharing a late review.

A bit shorter, lighter, and aimed at a more general reader than her usual works, Hughes skillfully blends culture, myth, and archeology to explore the origins and impact of the goddess of desire. It's a beautifully written and illustrated reminder of the power of the erotic impulse and how it so often leads to strife. Aphrodite could be terrifying and Hughes examines that aspect in all of the goddess's incarnations and visages.

4.5 stars for a delightful read. Will request for the college library alongside Helen of Troy and The Hemlock Cup.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3489232736

Venus and Aphrodite was a good introduction to the evolution of the myth of Venus. I appreciated that the author detailed the shifting representation of the goddess during different eras and geographical locations. As someone with only a general knowledge of Greek and Roman mythology, I feel like I learned a lot of new things while reading. The only complaint that I have is that each chapter felt too rushed. So many ideas were introduced, but then the author would quickly move on to something else.

As a lover of history and mythology, as soon as I saw this book I knew that I had to read it.
I like the path the the author decided to take and the book seems well written, I would suggest it only to readers that are into the topic though.
I wish it would have been longer.

*4.5 stars*

Enjoyable, readable history…

My interest in history is purely non-professional so when I find an author who can provide readable, relatable books I quickly add them at the favourites list. Bettany Hughes is one of those authors. I’ve read her Egyptology history and each book let me be an archaeologist for a short time…

Her take on Venus and Aphrodite offered details on a topic I hadn’t thought too much about. Venus. Aphrodite. Having a superficial understanding of the myth itself, this delved into the very first mentions and continued on to the modern age. The mythology of Venus/Aphrodite was revealed in a broad, yet abbreviated, fashion. Insightful and offering her take on the many interpretations offered over the centuries, I found myself finishing the book and immediately looking for more, a nod to the subject matter and the author’s thoughtful approach.

SHORT AND SOMEWHAT CURSORY 'BIOGRAPHY' OF APHRODITE

One the one hand I really liked that this was a short book. Often times I want to read non-fiction, but get tired halfway through because of the sheer length. It was nice to get a short non-fiction book for once. On the other hand, it did leave some things to be desired because of the length. So I am of two minds. Still, overall, it was a good, informative read.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Evolution: When I have read other books about mythology or gods and goddess, the author often dedicates a lot of time and space to talking about the persona and the worship of the goddess in question. I really liked that this was not the focus of this book. This book focused more on her evolution over time and her geographical travels. I liked that angle.

Writing: The writing was easy to get into and the tone was more conversational than scholarly.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Superficial: Because of the length of the book, some of the points did seem a little superficial and could have done with a bit more elaboration.

In this incredibly immersive and well-researched book by the lovely Bettany Hughes, we uncover the history of one of the most fascinating Goddesses in human history.

We follow the story of Aphrodite from pre-history right up until Christianity and the present day, exploring the relationship humanity has had with her.

Aphrodite was much more than your average goddess of love, that was just the tip of the iceberg. She was many different things to a wide range of people, over a long period of time. Sure, her name may have changed over the years, and her story has been warped by the hands of man for their own self-serving reasons, but till this day her name and effigy is one of the most recognizable in the modern-day.

What this novel does well is explain to the reader the many roles Aphrodite has played over the years, goddess of love, child-birth, and strong feminist representation for women everywhere, and of course when you're a daring, beautiful, and iconic goddess, you will be punished by those who deem you immoral.

Whatever she was or represented, there’s no doubt that Aphrodite has had a lasting impact on human history and the way we view strong women.

3 stars.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book and would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about this badass goddess, written by an even more badass woman!

**ARC provided by Perseus Books & Basic Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once upon a time, when I was an undergraduate on the cusp of graduation, I interviewed for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Desperate to show that I had a project worthy of consideration for this award, I decided that I’d pitch myself as an Assyriologist, that I would look at the goddess worship of the ancient Near East in an attempt to shed light on the present. It was, to be sure, a little far-fetched, but nothing more than what I’d seen other successful people do. Unfortunately, things did not go well at the interview. From the moment I walked in, I got the sense that the committee was skeptical of my entire research project.
I was, to be quite frank, rather flummoxed at the outright hostility with which my project was greeted by one of the interviewers. He told me, bluntly in fact, that he’d seen many of the sculptures and that, in his words, he “just didn’t see it.” I was so deflated by that whole interview that it wasn’t a surprise to me that I didn’t get the scholarship, and I put the entire research project in the back of my mind.
This exchange came back to me as I read Bettany Hughes brisk cultural biography Venus and Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire, in which she traces the guises that the goddess of love has worn down through the ages, first in the Near East and then later in Greece, Rome, and the rest of the West. In one of the book’s most startling passages, she mentions that a recent visit to war-torn Syria reminded her of the fact that this region has been a cauldron of conflict since antiquity. She goes on to refer to the “dreaded power of Aphrodite’s ancestors.” “The goddesses of this dynasty were certainly not comfortable creatures,” she writes, “Desire — for control, blood, fear, dominance, rapture, justice, adrenaline, ecstasy — can lead both to making war and making love, to churn and change of all kinds.” The Near East, both ancient and modern, has existed under the sway of these powerful desires, and Hughes is write to point out this fascinating connection between the past and the present.
I’ve been a fan of Bettany Hughes every since I read her excellent cultural biography of Helen of Troy some years ago. I was therefore quite excited when I saw that the book was available as an ARC on NetGalley. Needless to say, I scooped it right up and devoured it. From beginning to end, it’s a gripping history of the ways in which the goddess Aphrodite — also known in various times and places as Astarte, Ishtar, Inanna, and Venus — has transformed to meet humanity’s emotional and mythological needs.
As with her other work, Hughes weaves together various sorts of primary material with ease. She’s something like a particularly brilliant museum curator, leading us, the reader, through the galleries of history. She doesn’t talk down to nor cozen the reader, but instead invites us to experience the material and literary remains with all of the excitement and enthusiasm of a novice. Here, we see the Lady of Lemba, the corpulent statue whose contours speak of fecundity. There, we see the statue of Venus Genetrix in Rome, erected by Julius Caesar and modeled after his beloved Cleopatra. There, we hear a reading of the achingly brilliant words of the poet Sappho, herself smitten with the madness of desire. And hovering over it all is the violence at the heart of her myth, since she was literally born from the sea from the severed testicles of the god Ouranos. For both Near Eastern and Greek cultures, the various guises of Aphrodite were reminders of her power, of the elemental conjoining of desire and violence, ecstasy and escape.
The brilliance of the Romans was that they managed to yoke together desire and conquest. Venus proved to be key to the very foundation of Rome, and figures such as Julius Caesar claimed her as one of their ancestors. Others, such as Cleopatra, bound her iconography with theirs, ensuring that Venus was a figure of politics as well as desire.
Despite the fact that the Christians were deeply uncomfortable with this goddess of desire. Nevertheless, Aphrodite/Venus would prove to have a remarkably long life in the centuries and millennia after antiquity. One need look no further than Botticelli’s famous painting of her birth to see the ways in which she continued to exert a powerful hold on the erotic imagination, as well as to see how the essential violence entailed in her birth could be evoked in Renaissance painting.
Again and again, Hughes also draws striking parallels between the past and the present. As she notes, Aphrodite has worn many guises throughout the ages, and her presence is with us in the present as well. Even though modern culture has largely banalized her to such a degree that she is often nothing more than an accoutrement, her ancient power — sinister and overwhelming as it is — does occasionally bubble to the surface. No less a modern intellectual luminary than Sigmund Freud would make desire key to his theorization of the working of civilization. And Aphrodite continues to make herself felt in the beats of music and in celluloid fantasies.
Unlike some other reviewers of the book, who found Hughes’ prose to be overwrought and distracting, I actually thought it was quite suitable for the subject. In fact, Helen Morales, author of a rather hostile review in the Times Literary Supplement, suggests that perhaps in this case the medium is the message. To my mind, that’s actually quite near the mark but, unlike Morales, I found it a rather brilliant way of constructing a biography of desire, that most fickle and dangerous of human emotions. Hughes comes a great deal closer to capturing the elusive nature of desire — and the goddess who personifies it — than almost anyone else writing on the subject.
Now, I will say that I was rather surprised at how quickly I was able to read the book. It’s a remarkably short volume to cover so much material and, while I found myself more than a little in awe of how flawlessly Hughes was able to tell such a complex and layered story in so few pages, there were times when I wished she would have slowed down to give us a more in-depth look at key historical moments. There’s quite a lot of daylight between antiquity and the medieval period, and between the Renaissance and today, and the book would have been strengthened by more elaboration.
Overall, however, I found this to be a truly entertaining and enriching read. It’s the kind of cultural biography that is especially valuable not only because it has such a focus on women and their lives but also because it is intended for a broader audience than the one found in academia. I continue to admire Hughes’ commitment to making sure that audiences everywhere understand the myriad profound ways in which the ancient world continues to affect the ways that we understand ourselves as desiring subjects. Some of us may be done with antiquity, but it surely isn’t done with us.

i really enjoyed reading this book, I liked that it was about a goddess and thought it was a fascinating read.