The Hero With a Thousand Faces

416 pages

English language

Published Dec. 26, 1972 by Princeton University Press.

ISBN:
978-0-691-01784-6
Copied ISBN!
Goodreads:
588138

View on OpenLibrary

View on Inventaire

4 stars (7 reviews)

In this book, Joseph Campbell presents the composite hero. Apollo, the Frog King of the fairy tale, Wotan, the Buddha, and numerous other protagonists of folklore and religion, enact simultaneously the various phases of their common story. The psychological view is then compared with the words of such spiritual leaders as Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Lao-tse, and the 'Old Men' of Australian tribes. From behind a thousand faces the single hero emerges, archetype of all myth.

12 editions

Review of 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I'd heard of this book for years, going back to its associations with George Lucas and Star Wars, but never got around to reading it before now. It's an interesting book at times, and definitely has some valuable things to say on the nature of mythology.

Where it falls down is when it attempts to combine "modern" psychology, psychoanalysis, and dream interpretation to mythology. If these sections had been excised the overall work would have been much improved.

I'm glad I read it. The references to various myths from around the world were interesting enough even without the accompanying analysis.

avatar for susurros

rated it

5 stars
avatar for Renaclerican

rated it

5 stars
avatar for localstatic

rated it

3 stars
avatar for robrey

rated it

4 stars
avatar for sethmdoty

rated it

5 stars
avatar for gwenprime

rated it

2 stars

Subjects

  • Mythology
  • Psychoanalysis