Star Wars - The Power of Myth (Paperback)

by DK Publishing (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Luke Skywalker equals Roland, Ben Kenobi equals Merlin, and the Death Star is the minotaur's labyrinth. Without a doubt, George Lucas owes much of the phenomenal success and gut-level resonance of his Star Wars series to a deft use of myth and universal archetypes. Fans of Joseph Campbell (and anyone else who's spent more than two shakes analyzing Lucas's Wookiee-subtle use of symbolism) won't find more than superficial insights in Star Wars: The Power of Myth, but by all means, don't let that keep you from the fun. Kids--and anyone who loves to analyze the similarities between Stormtrooper armor and 15th-century Gothic battle gear--will quickly find themselves engrossed in this picture-heavy survey of intergalactic mythology (despite maybe a bit too much emphasis on Western legends and, even less forgivable, The Phantom Menace).

Under headings like "Sacrifice and Betrayal," "Descent to the Underworld," and "Reconciliation with the Father," screen shots and detailed diagrams from the SW flicks (many recycled from previous DK books) share space alongside classical illustrations and neat-o closeups of lightsabers and blasters. Some connections come across seamlessly (we all knew Yoda was a Zen Buddhist), while others border on the sketchy (what does a Naboo N-1 fighter have to do with Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, anyway?). But DK's usual slick packaging and clean presentation makes up for any faults, making this a more than reasonable--and likely even educational--acquisition for young fans. --Paul Hughes

Product Description
Explore the myths behind your favorite characters in Star Wars and Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Every civilization on Earth has told mythic stories to answer life's big questions. Star Wars: The Power of Myth is a photographically illustrated guide to one of the greatest mythical adventures of the modern age: George Lucas's Star Wars saga. This book charts Luke Skywalker's "hero's journey" from his humble origins to the fulfillment of his quest to become a Jedi Knight, and looks at the rich traditions of world mythology that inspired the Star Wars stories.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1st edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789455919
• ISBN-13: 978-0789455918
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,837 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Complicated Star war myths explained for everyone, March 31, 2000

By A Customer

This book is besides a nice Star wars picture gallery alsoasplendid popular analysis of the Star Wars myths and legends. Theepisodes and various elements of the movies are compared with episodes in world history, the bible and Greek mythology ect. Luke Skywalker is paralleled with Wilhelm Tell, King Arthur and so on. Lukes companions and enemies and dominating themes as his relationship towards his father Darth Vader, treason, self-sacrifice and heroic deeds are compared with well-known existing myths and legends. World historical events is also clearly felt in the spacefighting (Second World War - Battle of Britain) and the pod racing in Episode One (Ancient Rome - Ben Hur in Circus Maximus). The Jedi-philosophy has many element from the Zenbudhism and the Imperial Storm Troopers are in many ways like medieval armoured knights. The book is nicely illustrated with lots of pictures from the movies. It will appeal strongly to children from 12 years and every Star wars-fan up 99 years. Star wars. The power of Myth will be a great help in guiding you through the rather complicated personal relationships and myths in the Star Wars universe of the four movies. Rasmus of 14 said to me: "Now I suddenly realize how everything works in the four movies and how they are linked together." I can clearly recommend this book to every Star wars-fan.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book in which parallel lines DO intersect.., July 11, 2000

By A Customer

This thin, colorful book is a trifle formula, yet despite this it reads itself very well (i.e., hard to put down). Its streamlined, "pure protein" format also make it a likely candidate for multiple, enjoyable perusals...

It's brief, it's light reading, and it's fun...

As Roger Ebert rightly observes, a large part of the SW appeal is its visual richness. The book captures and conveys this well: nicely choreographed presentations of lovely color illustrations illuminated by succinct descriptions of mythological parallels.

It is well-known that George Lucas wisely modelled his universe on the work of Joseph Campbell, (note title). The recurrent mythological themes in SW are sufficiently presented to make this book a nice gift for anyone interested in either subject, child or adult.

Recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for kids and adults alike..., September 6, 2001

By	A. J Velarde (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The great thing about this book it that it's fun to read. It has a lot of pics about legends that are somehow similar to the events depicted on Star Wars. If you are a fan of the Star Wars films, or just a fan of mithology, you will love this book.

It's a great gift for children who are beginning to read, and are somehow familiar with Star Wars.