The Quest for the Green Man [Hardcover]

John Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

The Green Man is the archetype of the generative masculine energy of the earth. In the ancient mythology of myriad cultures, he is Mother Nature's consort--and their lusty union is what makes the earth fertile again every spring. Now, John Matthews says, the Green Man is reemerging to balance the stereotype of Man as Destroyer and to heal our relationship with the natural world. With stories, lore, and poetry, Matthews tracks the Green Man in his many guises throughout history and as an icon in the modern ecological movement. His lush text is enriched with illustrations ranging from medieval architecture to modern art and with simple meditations for finding the Green Man in the forest of our own imagination. Altogether, this lively book will delight the eye, thrill the story-loving heart, and quicken the spirit.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books; 1 edition (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835608255
• ISBN-13: 978-0835608251
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #843,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack is Back!, August 15, 2001

By 

A. Bonacquisti (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quest for the Green Man (Hardcover)

Ah, the Green Man. Who indeed would be more qualified to compose a book honoring this most timeless icon of the Wild Green more than John Matthews? My answer: no one! And Mr. Matthews, to be sure, has done a most splendid job of paying tribute to this once almost lost depiction of our ancestors reverence for the natural world in which they lived.

But far beyond just putting a face on nature (as the Green Man) our ancestors also LIVED according to the laws of the Green Man and his world. These Old Ways, for far too long, have been buried and disregarded.

But times are changing, and many of us have brought out our shovels and begun to dig, both literally and figuratively, down into the Earth to retrieve this ancient knowledge that was time capusled by our ancestors. And what better place to start than with becoming reacquainted with the Wild Jack?

"The Quest for the Green Man" is a unique book indeed. Unlike the many books written on the Green Man that only chronicles the history of Jack's existence (in both picture and words), Mr. Matthews title goes one further by shining a light on the Green Man in a contemporary flair and thusly making Jack-in-the-Green more accessible to us today.

Many of the photos depict recent day Europeans, in full dress, paying homage to the Wild Man. And many of the contemporary likenesses of the Green Man are not carvings, but rather paintings and collages. This, I believe is very important in that it brings up-to-date this most ancient image and provides infinite possibilities for modern humans (those of us who cannot sculpt or carve) to experiment with Jack's image and thus get to know him.

Additionally, there are many other areas in which this book that is just marvelous, such as: an easy layout, vivid photos, the inclusion of some Green Man poetry, fitting quotes, a small resource guide and a huge "further reading" section.

John Matthews, like many of us, knows full well that the wisdom and secrets of the Green Man are not easily won. But, if you are willing to meet him on his terms-to get out into Nature and to seek out his likeness in the trees, vines and weeds, and, to attune yourself to the cycles that he represents, Old Jack, I am sure, will be more than willing to allow you back into his realm.

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Moderately Useful, February 17, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Quest for the Green Man (Hardcover)

Although there is some useful and interesting information in the book, the author is more interested in pressing his environmental agenda than in compiling scholarly information on the Green Man. I was annoyed by his constant preaching. I'm sure there must be better books on this subject than this one.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars poorly written book on a fascinating subject, October 12, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Lampton (Herts, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest for the Green Man (Hardcover)

This book covers a huge wealth of folk culture and history, but sadly cheapens the subject with awful suppositions and new age wittering.

The author creates theories, then bases other theories on those, to create a whole nonsense of his own imagining.

for instance (and this is my own lazy approximation,and not an actual excerpt) " xxxxx was also associated with the colour green, so as we can see xxxxx is also a green man archetype. As we have seen, all green things are essentially the green man in some form or other"

There are some tantalising snippets of information in here, that warrant further research, but the rambling style and eco/new age slant make this a tiresome read.