The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Power of Myth
Book Review: Free Your Mind Before Beginning This Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Do not begin this book with a closed mind. Joseph Campbell can lead you into a new passage of your life if you are ready for it. The question and answer format can be, at times, ponderous and tedious, however this is the best introduction to Mr. Campbell's work. There were sections that I longed to be able to interject my own questions following the direction that I felt the conversation was naturally heading, but Mr. Moyers felt that it was going another way. This can be my only complaint.
Mr. Campbell goes into explaining many symbols that saturate our society. Some symbols we are experiencing everyday, but are unconscious of them. This is the collective unconscious of things that we have stored in our collective memory banks. Mr. Campbell attempts to explain some of these. He also draws many parallels between a variety of sources including poetry, literature, and art. This book is an overall culture lesson that everyone needs. The basic "knowledge" that is in-bred in each of us needs to be examined. However, only a small amount of people today even attempt to understand that. My point is, those symbols and experiences are our bonds as human beings. This is important to humanity.
Read this book if you are prepared to dwell on the things that he has put before you. Have a highlighter ready to remind yourself of those most important quotes from the book!
Book Review: Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Makes my short list of 20 books everyone person should read. If you are going to read only one Josepg Campbell, this is a great one. Helps your perspective on life, religion and the culture we live in. One of the great unconventional thinkers of the last 50 years.Book Review: Good only in parts
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is a mixed bag.On the plus side , Campbell draws attention to myths, which are important in our lives.He also mentions the need to look inwards to the intangible worlds.But I find him to be just a bit too glib.He snatches at myths from all over the place, sampling a bit here and a bit there.This is a negative feature of New Age thought, which treats myths and religion like consumer products.He takes the Eastern quietest position by ignoring the social dimensions of life.When he says you can't do anything to change the world, he ignores that people are influencing the world all the time.The powerful exploiters certainly have a great impact in shaping the material world in which we live.People can change themselves and the world at the same time.This book offers a few tasty morsels, but not the sustenance of a full meal.Book Review: Great intro to literature, but please read them yourself.
Summary: 5 Stars
The Power of Myth is a great introduction to meaningfulliterature, but please follow up on the references and read
them for yourself. I use the analogy of a movie critique where
this book will give you an outline of great literature and
you'll know lots of interesting stories but they will be
stories that were important to and interpreted by someone else.
You won't have the full experience without actually
reading them yourself!!! This analogy is not meant to be
disrespectful to Joseph Campbell or take away from the book,
he has drawn a common thread through literature across cultures
and history. Please consider this book as a possible guide through
literature and be ready to have a lot of FUN!!!
Book Review: Great starting point to exploring Myths
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is a great book to start with if you are curious about what Myths from ancient history really meant and what the ancients were trying to teach. If you have watched any of the Joseph Campbell specials on PBS that explain his understanding of what Myths are trying to teach us about the nature of the world and about ourselves then this book is unneeded. This book only skims the basics and does not probe to deeply. Campbell believes that all Myths fron the American Indians, Greeks, Romans, and from India are veiled teachings about the nature of human conciousness played out by the characters in the Myths. He believes that we as human beings are divided with the organs in our bodies influencing us through their different needs. Campbell believes that to truly be happy you must follow your bliss, when you quit following your bliss for money, it is the beginning of unhappiness. Campbell also tears the sacred veil off modern religions explaining them away as nothing but modern day Myths that teach us about ourselves through metaphors, not to be taken literally. Great book, but read his others for more depth in his teachings.