Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • The Life Fantastic

  • Myth, History, Pop and Folklore in the Making of Western Culture
  • By: Noa Menhaim
  • Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
  • Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Life Fantastic

By: Noa Menhaim
Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £18.99

Buy Now for £18.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

A witty and magical collection of essays that investigates Western culture through the broadest spectrum of literature, mediam, and popular phenomenon.

Comparable in scope, wit, and verve with the best-selling Sapiens and A Short History of Nearly Everything, this collection of highly entertaining, mind-blowing, and incredibly wide-ranging essays will make listeners see Western culture as they've never seen it before.

From monsters to witches and ancient libraries to lost islands, The Life Fantastic seeks to trace the origins of ideas, their surprising paths, and unexpected ways in which they interact and manifest throughout history. By digging around the roots of literary genres, popular stories, and ancient myths, Noa propels the listener back and forth through time, from high to popular culture, from art to politics and religion, on a journey to ever-expanding horizons. The addition of side notes creates a network of references between the chapters, allowing listeners to follow links that interest them—to go from Amazons to Vikings, then to mermaids.

Discover the real-life stories that inspired characters from the most famous children's tales, from Winnie the Pooh to Alice in Wonderland. Track the discovery of the lost island Atlantis through Western history, from Plato to Aquaman. Explore the history of the female clitoris, from when it was thought to identify a witch to Aristotle asserting that only blondes can orgasm. The Life Fantastic is an invitation to explore the fascinating structure and some of the rich elements that make up the collective subconscious of Western culture.

©2022 Noa Menhaim (P)2022 Watkins Publishing
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Modern Myths cover art
Women of Myth cover art
The True History of Merlin the Magician cover art
Aliens, UFOs & the Occult cover art
Uncovering World Mythology: The Ultimate Collection (5 Books in 1) cover art
Mythology: Folklore, Myths & Legends: The History of Gods, Men and the Mythologies of the World cover art
Women Who Fly cover art
A History of the Vampire in Popular Culture cover art
The Fiery Angel cover art
Asian Journals cover art
Primitive Mythology cover art
Goethe cover art
Norse Mythology cover art
The Heroine with 1001 Faces cover art
Helen of Troy cover art
Waking the Witch cover art

What listeners say about The Life Fantastic

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.