The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols (Dictionary, Penguin) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Alain Gheerbrant (Author), John Buchanan-Brown (Translator)
Key Phrases: world axis, cosmic egg, world egg, Old Testament, Ancient Egyptian, First Cause (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A bestseller in France, where it was originally published, this supremely erudite book draws together folkloric, literary, and artistic sources and focuses on the symbolic dimension of every color, number, sound, gesture, expression, or character trait that has benefited from symbolic interpretation.

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1184 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140512543
• ISBN-13: 978-0140512540
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #92,918 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #78 in	Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Science

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary for Thinkers, October 23, 2000

By	Joel M Sax (Trabuco Canyon, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a thinker's dictionary, not a guide to road signs and icons. The editors took the trouble to recruit symbol experts from many different professions, ranging from the paranormal to the skeptical academic. The result is a dictionary with entries that have more depth than the usual "quick hits" that other symbolism dictionaries give you. Chevalier is not afraid to give contradictory or contrasting meanings of icons. (He is not a universalist, but a relativist.) He is usually careful to identify the culture in which a particular meaning is given. I keep this in easy reach on my bookshelf, reminding myself, however, that no dictionary on this subject can possibly cover all the meanings a symbol may have. It is worth having around.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent dictionary in scope and depth, October 20, 1999

By	joanne wieland-burston ([e-mail]... (munich / zurich) - See all my reviews

i have known this dictionary in the french original for about 20 years now and recommend it again and again to students. i have always hoped that it could become available for non french readers. finally! as a jungian analyst, i find the dictionary extremely helpful: it does an extraordinary job of displaying the breadth of symbolic meanings involved in so many symbols that are still very much alive in people today. the refence to various cultures is especially important in our multi-cultural world.. i am very thankful for this translation into english and hope the german translation will follow soon.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best esoteric symbol interpretation I have seen, January 25, 2001

By	Yvonne Turner "Vonnie" (Pacific Northwest USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have about a dozen symbol books... most of the classics. This one is the best for interpreting those strange symbols in your dreams, daydreams, etc. It is not the shallow stupid interpretations "you are going on a journey..." stuff, but true archetypical and esoteric interpretations.