Customer Reviews

The Trickster: A Study in American Indian Mythology

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Although occasionally dry, the connection between myth and psych is touched on here - distinguishing this material from more conventional anthologies of Coyote/Trickster legends. I might suggest the more readable Joseph Campbell, and indeed there's a bit of a connection between the two writers, and Carl Jung.

There's new material here, even if a little too intellectual for some. Some of the legends were new to me, and the valuable tidbits made it worth wading through. Jung's contribution is unique. In summary: It's a slower read, but worth the effort.

This is a venerable book first having been published in 1956. Its continuing ready availability over sixty years later speaks to its importance in the field of mythology.

Radin contributes the majority of the essays that make up the book and incorporates additional perspectives by Kerenyyi , Jung, and Stanley Diamond. Included are in depth studies of the Winnebago Trickster and Hare Cycles as well as summaries of the Assiniboine and Tlingit Trickster myths.

The picture that emerges of the Native American expression of this pervasive archetype is comprehensive, deeply researched, and yet very accessible. It will be of value to students of cultural anthropology, as well as those of comparative religion and psychology.

In addition, however, and more unexpectedly it's also an interesting and entertaining read for the layperson.

Be forewarned though - no mention of the road runner is to be found.

Broken Film: Poems

Raul Radin's The Trickster presents one of the more refreshingling un-filtered American Indian story cycles. Given its age the language does tend to be a bit creaky and the pacing can be a bit slow for modern tastes. But very few readers will fail to have at least one or two well worn scales ripped from their eyes by shocks to either narrative expectation or standard decorum as they work their way through this amazingly fertile and amusing myth.

It is best to treat the tellings in this volume as transcripts, and then to replay them in your imagination to amplify the humor and humanity that are sketched out in the linear renderings.

There is great stuff here when you replay it in the windmills of your mind.

The introduction and other essays in this book suffer greatly from 'primitive peoples' syndrome (it was written a few decades ago). Ignore this: the best part of the book is the middle, where a Winnebago trickster story plus a few others are included, supposedly in full. If you believe Radin's description of collecting the myths (got them from an informant, translated by two more informants and 'tidied up' by him), then they seem to be pretty much OK.. certainly nothing obvious has been left out, as self-mutilation, genitals, and jolly exploits with faeces are still in there. Draw your own conclusions.

The Trickster myth is hilarious and it shows how myths can shape people's psyches. The commentaries are somewhat disappointing, though. You must have a big interest in the subject to enjoy this book.

Bought used for a very good price. Book in excellent condition. Came in mail in a matter of a few days.