Iron John

Upped my decades old rating by half a point (0.5)returnreturnI was probably just shy of 50 when I first read the book. The re-read was well worth it. One might observe Bly anticipated the #metoo moment. His describes of the decline of both men's and women's lives as a direct result of the industrial revolution, the proximate cause. The "modern" origins he dates to the 11th C, when story-telling killed off the "Wild Man". Other reviewers will/have related the binding thread of the myth/legend/story of Iron John, and its appearance in cultures around the world. It's universal. returnreturnA single instance where Bly uses history, non-fiction, if you will, is late in the chapter of the Red, White, and Black horses, where Abraham Lincoln is approached in the White House at 5 a.m. by a woman whose son is about to be hanged at 8 a.m. The good thing about the whole chapter is the leveling of sexual/gender stereotypes. No color horse is better than any other, Red horses aren't exclusively ridden by women, while or black by men. They are ridden in different orders to make different points; the different progressions describe different growth.returnreturnMost often, Bly introduces an image, by meditating on a section of the Iron John legend. For example, "Ralph Nader rides a white horse", this without further comment, allowing the reader to make their own judgement about any meaning. While a reference may slip over contemporary readers' event horizon, a bit of research supplies the context.returnreturnRisking repetition, the story is timeless. Bly sheds light on the now-emerging social issues of the last nearly 30 years. If he points to a solution, it is this: "Don't become the Wild Man; instead, get in touch with yours". And not in identical words, he suggests a similar solution for women.