Joseph Campbell's classic cross-cultural study of the hero's journey has inspired millions and opened up new areas of research and exploration. Originally published in 1949, the book hit the New York Times best-seller list in 1988 when it became the subject of The Power of Myth, a PBS television special. Now, this legendary volume, re-released in honor of the 100th anniversary of the author's birth, promises to capture the imagination of a new generation of readers. The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today—and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence. Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars, the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. Offered for the first time with beautifully restored illustrations and a bibliography of cited works, it provides unparalleled insight into world mythology from diverse cultures. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge. Originally written by Campbell in the '40s—in his pre-Bill Moyers days—and famous as George Lucas' inspiration for "Star Wars," this book will likewise inspire any writer or reader in its well considered assertion that while all stories have already been told, this is *not* a bad thing, since the *retelling* is still necessary. And while our own life's journey must always be ended alone, the travel is undertaken in the company not only of immediate loved ones and primal passion, but of the heroes and heroines—and myth-cycles—that have preceded us.

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List of Figures List of Plates Preface to the 1949 Edition  A Preamble  The Search for the Highest Treasure  What Does the Soul Truly Want?  There Must Be a River: Ever and Ever, There Must Be a River  The Story Function Will Not Die  In Extremis: The Story Finds a Way  The Repair Needed In and For This World: Story Can Mend, and Story Can Heal  The Human Heroic Figure  The Mythic Question  The Spirit and the Academic: Joseph Campbell  The Wild Man and the Wild Woman  Growing New and Future Generations of Souls  The Shoulders We Stand On Acknowledgments  1 Myth and Dream  2 Tragedy and Comedy  3 The Hero and the God  4 The World Navel Part One: The Adventure of the Hero   1 The Call to Adventure   2 Refusal of the Call   3 Supernatural Aid   4 The Crossing of the First Threshold   5 The Belly of the Whale   1 The Road of Trials   2 The Meeting with the Goddess   3 Woman as the Temptress   4 Atonement with the Father   5 Apotheosis   6 The Ultimate Boon   1 Refusal of the Return   2 The Magic Flight   3 Rescue from Without   4 The Crossing of the Return Threshold   5 Master of the Two Worlds   6 Freedom to Live  IV The Keys Part Two: The Cosmogonic Cycle   1 From Psychology to Metaphysics   2 The Universal Round   3 Out of the Void—Space   4 Within Space—Life   5 The Breaking of the One into the Manifold   6 Folk Stories of Creation   1 Mother Universe   2 Matrix of Destiny   3 Womb of Redemption   4 Folk Stories of Virgin Motherhood   1 The Primordial Hero and the Human   2 Childhood of the Human Hero   3 The Hero as Warrior   4 The Hero as Lover   5 The Hero as Emperor and as Tyrant   6 The Hero as World Redeemer   7 The Hero as Saint   8 Departure of the Hero   1 End of the Microcosm   2 End of the Macrocosm  1 The Shapeshifter  2 The Function of Myth, Cult, and Meditation  3 The Hero Today Bibliography Index

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Tags: Mythology, Literature, LiteraryCriticism
The most in-depth coverage. The best reference. Christopher Vogler, "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers"

 

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