The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Power of Myth
Book Review: :.:The Power of Myth:.:
Summary: 5 Stars
Content: J. Campbell is a comparative scholar of mythologies, so expect many comparecents between world religions. Also note that the book is written in the form of a dialogue- interview.It is very easy and simple to follow the conversation- the language is not some convoluted elite jargon but simple human language. J. Campbell is obviously an atheist but not in a Nitzschean way. In fact he doesn't preach at all but lets you form your own conclusions about the subject. Some of his analysis of religions is very interesting and enlightening- I bet most christians never thought of the bible as a metaphor. Though, you could say that Campbell is too Platonic- there is a lot of idealism in his conception of the power of myth.
The Point of the Book: The point of this book is to illustrate how a myth is still very much relevant to today's world, in spite of common conception. He doesn't, however, suggest we go back to old beliefs, but rather that we form new ones, foot-in-foot with modern mentality and fast paced world.
Book Review: A very interesting read and infomative!
Summary: 4 Stars
I found this book to be quite interesting and running the gamut between challengeing one's ideas about life to how we actually fit in life. This book is packed with life wisdom. The books format is a question and answer format with Joseph Campbell who clearly has spent his life studying the myths which man has chosen to live by. I can see why some people get unglued when they read this book for it is hard to have one's view so closely examined in an objective manner rather than a subjective one. I found I was able to read through it quickly and really understand what the author intended. Give it read, you won't be disapointed.Book Review: A "slow-burning rapture"
Summary: 5 Stars
Five stars seem inadequate to rate a book that changed my life so profoundly. It gave me the courage to do the things I always dreamed of doing, but dared not do, as they were contrary to what society considers success.
"Go where your body and soul want to go." Campbell urged. "When you have the feeling, stay with it, and don't let anyone throw you off."
His words spurred me on. As did these,
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. To refuse the call means stagnation."
(Stagnation! Who wants that? A stinky, smelly swamp of a life.)
I worried that the life I wanted held no hope for financial security. But Campbell said not to pity people who have no visible means of support, rather those who have no invisible means of support, nothing to sustain them from within. Furthermore, he added:
"If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you . . . you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. . . . doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. It's miraculous! Invisible hands will guide you the entire way. "
I found this to be true with amazing accuracy. Everything he writes has been true for me.
Finally, Campbell suggests,
"Read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time."
This is one of those books. Start here.
Book Review: A Great Introductory Book to Joseph Campbell
Summary: 5 Stars
For those who have not had much reading into the deph of Campbell this is the book. Although not as detailed or in depth as A Hero with a Thousand Faces this book contains the major philosophical points that Campell is trying to get at. As one who holds a B.A.. in religious studies this booksserves as a great example for one's own journey into exploring the various trends found in the major religions of the world. However, I do not recommend taking Campbell at looking at religions as you can miss the depth and significance that each faith has to its followers. If you are coming from a more traditional Christian tradition you may not like or even dismiss what Campbell has to say and if this is your case I would recommend to read something more specific and maybe more meaningful to you as from either Paul Tillich in particular The Courage to Be or Karl Rahner.Book Review: A Humanist Path to the Spirit
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first saw (and read) this series of interviews, it floored me. It opened me up to a world of spirituality outside the religious limitations I'd grown up with. Since then I've read almost everything Campbell wrote--including the new Thou Art That (wow!)--and while all of the books and recordings fill me with that same awe, this one gathers together all of the themes and ideas so cleanly and succinctly. This is a must-read.