The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work

Joseph Campbell, arguably the greatest mythologist of our time, was certainly one of our greatest storytellers. This new cloth edition of The Hero's Journey, published to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Campbell's birth, recounts his own quest and conveys the excitement of his lifelong exploration of our mythic traditions, what he called "the one great story of mankind."

Fans of Joseph Campbell's books on comparative myth and religion will enjoy this amalgam of interviews, speeches and conversations, a spin-off of a film documentary of the same title produced by Cousineau. A spiritual autobiography of sorts, the book ranges widely, from Cro-Magnon art to Arthurian legend to marriage as a "sacrificial field," as it follows Campbell from his Catholic boyhood and early interest in American Indians to his years in Paris and Munich, through his travels and teaching at Sarah Lawrence. We watch as he discusses poetry with Robert Bly and meets Jung, who explains to him the meaning of the Hindu syllable "Om." Campbell's comments are quotable: "If marriage isn't a first priority in your life, you're not married." His prompting to "follow your bliss" here takes on the meaning of working out one's inner myths to gain a sense of direction. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Another book of interviews with Joseph Campbell? Does this one add anything to what we already know about him and his work? Yes, it does. This book seems more "personal" because it includes excerpts from conversations and interviews by long-time Campbell intimates, including his wife, who knew what questions to ask to get Campbell to tell stories from his own life. These stories reveal how his sense of the oneness of mythology began and grew over the course of his long and event-filled life journey. As we read them, we experience the warm human presence of a man who spent his life learning from others as well as teaching. Recommended.
- Lucy Patrick, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.