A companion to the award-winning film documentary, this is the story of Joseph Campbell's lifelong journey into the world of mythology. Exclusive interviews, lectures, and conversations with figures such as Robert Bly and Native American author Jamake Highwater reveal Joseph Campbell the man, as well as the revered mythologist, teacher, and writer. 100 photographs and illustrations. Two full-color inserts.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Campbell's spiritual autobiography, filled with quotable comments, offers insights into his Catholic youth, travels, teaching career and marriage as well as dialogues on poetry and ritual art with notables including Robert Bly and Jung. "Fans of . . . Campbell's books on comparative myth and religion will enjoy this amalgam of interviews, speeches and conversations," said PW. Illustrated.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best storytellers of our time!,
This review is from: The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work: The World of Joseph Campbell (Paperback)
This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. This is a great book written about a very engaging storyteller. Joseph Campbell describes the monomyth in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces as embodying all the necessary elements of the hero's journey in the many myths in human history. Campbell discovered through extensive research that humankind shares a universal monomyth in its various religions and legends especially pertaining to the creation of the world and humankind. Campbell borrowed the term monomyth from James Joyce's book Finnegan's Wake. Campbell's intuitive insight in human myth proves that for thousands of years these myths display a certain standard structure, which he summarizes beautifully in his book.
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man (Campbell 30). There are at least four major stages that a monomyth has however, in his book, Campbell goes on to describe seventeen stages that some monomyth's posses. The four stages making up the cycle of a monomyth are "passage: separation-initiation-return:" In the passage stage the hero is summoned to journey or embark on an adventure by some kind of event that takes place or from a message, he receives. The hero may embark on this passage willingly or reluctantly. During the separation stage, the hero meets with a mentor or wise man who gives the hero either an amulet or some words of wisdom to be of help to the hero on the adventure. It is during this stage that the hero will go through his first transformation, also known as "crossing the first threshold," as he crosses over to another world or dimension leaving behind the old world. In the initiation stage, the hero goes through several trials or tests. The hero often receives help in these ordeals along the way by allies or from a supernatural force. As the hero completes these ordeals successfully, he proves himself more worthy to continue the adventure. Most importantly, during this stage the hero must pass through a major ordeal that will expand his consciousness, and thereby change his character forever. Often, this ordeal entails the death of an ally or enemy. Once the hero successful accomplishes his ordeal he is rewarded with a gift, it could be intrinsic like the "holy grail, or it can be new found knowledge to better the world with. The last stage the hero travels is that of the return whence he came. Often the hero will undergo further trials on his return before he is permitted to cross the threshold back to the world he left. During his return journey, the hero will use his newfound wisdom or gift to make a safe return home. Once home the gift is used to cure some ill in the hero's home or to impart new wisdom to his neighbors. Campbell points to the significance of the monomyth in the fact that it describes the cycle that Moses, Jesus, and Buddha had gone through according to their religious adherents. This is not to mention the hundreds of other monomyths told throughout human history. The monomyth proves that humankind shares a common creation DNA in a sense. The monomyth is the perfect vehicle for one to study the Humanities by. Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Hero's Journey,
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This review is from: The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work: The World of Joseph Campbell (Paperback)
Joseph Campbell personifies what it means to live as an integrated human being. In fact, he is unabashedly human.
While it may be tempting to read this brief introduction and summary of his life, philosophy,and work with a critical eye, it would be more growth-promoting to non-judgementally go for the ride. One may say he led a charmed life, but it was a life he chose and sacrificed for. By making the choices he made, he set in motion the theory which has come to personify his life: Follow your bliss and what you need will follow. Nor does Campbell claim it will be a path strewn with roses. On the contrary, the task for each initiate is to maneuver the virign path, replete with challenges and rejection. A reductionistic position toward his life and work neglects the unknown day-to-day struggles we all confront. No one, but no one is able to avoid this one fact of life, regardless of socio-economic bracket or level of personal/professional success. Would you like to read something new, something well-thought out? If yes, read this book. Do you want to take the easy road and criticize? If yes, good luck with that. This man spent five Great Depression years studying classical works within multiple genres. On a full-time basis. That would translate into twenty years of our current attention span. Crib notes will be useless - This is not a coctail party. Criticism is easy. You need not agree. What is life but reveling in the differences? He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth [Goethe]. Take a trip with Joseph Campbell. What's the worst that can happen? CS Marvel
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent in-depth account of Joseph Campbell,
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This review is from: The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work: The World of Joseph Campbell (Paperback)
This book was well designed. The introduction by Phil Counsineau alone is worth the price. Instead of hidden away in some appendix, the Chronology of Joseph Campbell is up front before reading the details. The book is written mostly in a question and answer format.
Next striking thing is the pictures that accompany the text makes you feel that some one knew that Joseph was going to be some one of interest and sent a professional photographer to follow his life. He has pictures with and/or (Buffalo Bill Cody, Black Elk, James Joyce, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Thomas Mann, Karlfried Graf Dürkheim, Carl Jung, Linda Ronstadt...) of all kinds of people that you would think came from different eras, most impressive is his portrait University of Paris. One thing you will notice of Joseph Campbell is that he has a way of looking at life that most people do not until it pointed out. Some times he will seem to be just telling you the most mundane information and all of a sudden ties it to a point that was overlooked. Reading this book on his life will give you a better insight as to his works.
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