Customer Reviews: Read 105 more reviews...
 it's all been done before, or, life's rich pageant December 16, 2008
Campbell takes us through the tragedies, comedies, adventures and redemption that form a common thread through human stories. The archetypes have universal patterns to their struggles, and I began to see a reflection of the paths of Odysseus or Buddha or Jesus in my own life.
Every life is a hero's journey, or can be if we choose to see it that way.
However, while Campbell is obviously deep and brilliant, he can also be a bit wordy and dry.
 Hard Reading November 27, 2008
1 out of 10 found this review helpful
This should be the most interesting book ever written - after all, it purports to summarize myths across cultures with a mononmyth theory as the unifying force. The problem is in the execution, and probably the underlying theory, which is certainly out-dated. Campbell writes poorly. He is hard NOT to put down. And so, alas, as with earlier editions, I could not even plod through this tome. It is useless to my understanding of the world.
 Very Helpful November 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was very helpful in my own spiritual journey. It's worth all the time you'll spend reading it.
A journey blending modern psychology with comparative mythology October 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Collector's Edition of this keepsake represents a fine presentation of a classic first released in 1949. THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES is a journey blending modern psychology with comparative mythology, and this edition offers new audiences a fine hardcover packed with black and white illustration and detail.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
The Hero with a Thousand Faces October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Hero with a Thousand Faces is the work that first introduced me to Joseph Campbell. It was then and continues to be one of my favorite books of all time. Each time I read this valuable resource, I uncover another layer of usefulness. This time, I was specifically looking at how the cycle of the Hero's Journey directly related to the cycle of healing.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces presents Campbell's Hero's Journey. By looking at mythology worldwide, he noticed some very significant similarities in the journeys taken by the hero or heroine of these stories, hence the cycle. In this work, Campbell presents a number of snippets from different myths showing that indeed such a pattern exists. Indeed, it is a template still used by the best pieces of fiction and some of the most memorable movies.
The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a must have for anyone the least bit interested in mythology as well as every psychologist, writer, and healer on the planet. This is one of those books that quickly becomes dog-eared with consistent reuse.
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