Iron John: A Book About Men [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)

~ Robert Bly (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This book needs to be read, I believe, not as a dry work of scholarship to be judged coolly by the mind, but as the work of a poet struggling to convey an emotional experience and lead us to what he has found within himself' Guardian 'Eclectic and unclassifiable. Iron John is a work whose mentors are the prophetic poets and crazies, William Blake and Walt Whitman' Sydney Morning Herald 'Important...timely...and powerful' New York Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Here is the long-awaited work of renowned poet and storyteller Robert Bly that explores and challenges the male psyche. In it, Bly brings to light a burgeoning "underground" of men seeking to find a lost heritage of emotional connection -- to their fathers, their children, their wives, themselves. Using the Grimm fairy tale as a vehicle, Bly takes us back to a model of masculinity which is neither Rambo nor "wimp," but rather more like Odysseus. He examines the myths and cultural underpinnings of this classic male model -- a combination of fierceness and tenderness long since sacrificed to the demands of the industrial revolution. Such a sacrifice, says Bly, has given rise to a male sense of loss and unacknowledged pain.

Iron John works to heal this pain and to define a new era in the relations between the sexes -- it is the definitive book about men -- for men and for women.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Random House Audio (February 20, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679402896
• ISBN-13: 978-0679402893
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #459,355 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Bly, Robert
  #17 in	Books > Books on Cassette > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology
  #52 in	Books > Books on Cassette > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommend that you hear rather than read this book., October 29, 1997

By A Customer

The actions and reactions of the men in my life has always been a source of continual amazement to me. I gained some background understanding of why these men fail to be 'manly', and why they seem to be filled with rage and sorrow when I read the book 'Iron John' several years ago. Recently I picked up the audio copy and have found that hearing the author, poet Robert Bly, read the material makes it much more meaningful. Mr. Bly stresses the male need for older men to initiate young men into adult manhood. Since this society does not provide meaningful male initiation, he offers some direction for men to ritually work through the process themselves, based on the old fairy tale of Iron John. This is a practical yet deeply resonant book, and I strongly recommend it in the tape version.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helped me understand my relationship with my dad & my son., May 13, 1999

By A Customer

I tried to read Iron John a few years ago and found it much too heavy. However, I picked it up again last month (April 99) and I really enjoyed it. My dad is still alive at 85 and I have a son of almost 16. I had older mentors in my life, my maternal grandfather, a very old uncle and of course my Dad. I am now 47 and have mentored many people in work through the years, and I have been a sunday school teacher, a sports coach, and a youth group leader. I do believe mentoring is such an important part of 'growing up' and feel sad for those of us who have not had mentors in our lives. I can see more clearly now why some of the situations between my son and my wife happen .... I do so hope she reads Iron John. I have recommended Iron John to most of my male friends. Robert Bly makes this a very interesting read. Although,I found I had to re-read some sections to let the point sink in .... it IS quite a heavy book.