30 review for The Way of the Myth: Talking with Joseph Campbell (Shambhala Pocket Classics)

1. 

   5 out of 5

   J. Gonzalez- Blitz – Oct 11, 2014

   When I found a Joseph Campbell book discarded in the hall, I thought I may as well check out what all the fuss was about. It seemed like a simple sort of "Jung-lite" approach to mythology & it's role in human consciousness and culture. Nothing to object to there, right? UNTIL I get to the chapter on "initiations" where suddenly the type on the page turns into his mental diarrhea regarding the fact the women aren't meant to be artists because they get periods???? (Did anyone ever point out to thi When I found a Joseph Campbell book discarded in the hall, I thought I may as well check out what all the fuss was about. It seemed like a simple sort of "Jung-lite" approach to mythology & it's role in human consciousness and culture. Nothing to object to there, right? UNTIL I get to the chapter on "initiations" where suddenly the type on the page turns into his mental diarrhea regarding the fact the women aren't meant to be artists because they get periods???? (Did anyone ever point out to this New Age hippie hack that there are quite a few women artists who have created art WITH their periods?) According to Campbell, a woman's body unconsciously dropping an egg every 28 days already put her so close to the mysteries of life that there's no need for further initiation or development, and to want to be a serious artist is too male, and then goes on to make sweeping generalizations about women who try to hard to be serious artists "getting into bad marriages" and ceasing to follow through with creativity. This leaves me making generalizations like "I wonder which arty chick refused to fuck Joseph Campbell for him to be such a bitter old dick about it?" He then tries to do that patronizing thing these New-Agey sexists do of "Oh but you women can make life from your bodies! Why do you need to be fulfilled doing anything else?" As far as I'm concerned this guy can suck the toxic mense and miscarriage from my dentata-lined netherlips. I decided that I didn't have any further time to waste on this garbage. Well...I thought I was being hasty and read a few more pages in. He made another sweeping generalization about homosexuality being some type of arrested adolescence, and I KNEW I didn't have any more precious moments of my fleeting life to waste on this bigotry wrapped in feel-good aphorisms. Oh, by the way? The reason I didn't write this review last night is because I had to attend the opening of a group art show I had a painting in, accompanied by my husband with whom I COLLABORATE on projects with, and we got asked to create some film score work. Bite me, Joseph Campbell.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Shannon – Mar 26, 2009

   I chose this book to take with me on the train to DC because it was the smallest book in the house. I didn't know I was about to have my mind blown. This book is chock full of ideas that will make your head swim. Dive in! I chose this book to take with me on the train to DC because it was the smallest book in the house. I didn't know I was about to have my mind blown. This book is chock full of ideas that will make your head swim. Dive in!

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Cashmere – Oct 19, 2019

   Having read most of Campbell's core works, I had always put this one off as it is such a physically small book, I found it a little awkward to read. Well, I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it. It's a quick read to be sure, but full of substance and I didn't plow through it quite as fast as I thought I would. Don't let it's tiny size fool you! The book follows the format of interviews with Campbell, just as the Bill Moyers and Michael Toms books which preceded it. Truth be told, there i Having read most of Campbell's core works, I had always put this one off as it is such a physically small book, I found it a little awkward to read. Well, I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it. It's a quick read to be sure, but full of substance and I didn't plow through it quite as fast as I thought I would. Don't let it's tiny size fool you! The book follows the format of interviews with Campbell, just as the Bill Moyers and Michael Toms books which preceded it. Truth be told, there is a lot of repeated information here if you've read (or watched or heard) other interviews with Campbell, but Campbell being who he is continues to bring fresh little anecdotes, twists and insights that further enlighten ideas you may already be familiar with. I hadn't actually read any Campbell in awhile, so I immensely enjoyed reading this. It is apparently based on some films that were shot -- where are those? Why have they never surfaced on YouTube or elsewhere? If you generally like Campbell, then no doubt you'll enjoy this little tome. I'm not giving it a full five stars as there are a few passages that I thought were not entirely clear and where a little more poking from the interviewer (Fraser Boa), might have made them so. I'm not entirely positive that this book would serve as a good introduction to a Campbell newcomer, but perhaps it might.

4. 

   4 out of 5

   Nina Foster – May 29, 2019

   I get Campbell’s main idea, which is recognizing how our lives are playing out a spiritual myth and recognizing the energies or Gods that are presenting themselves in our societies or individual lives. That is without doubt the best or only way to interpret the bible, which I’d heard Campbell explain in a TV broadcast, years ago, “The Power of Myth;” to recognize the spiritual significance of everything that occurs in our lives. The problem I had with this delightful short book is that he could I get Campbell’s main idea, which is recognizing how our lives are playing out a spiritual myth and recognizing the energies or Gods that are presenting themselves in our societies or individual lives. That is without doubt the best or only way to interpret the bible, which I’d heard Campbell explain in a TV broadcast, years ago, “The Power of Myth;” to recognize the spiritual significance of everything that occurs in our lives. The problem I had with this delightful short book is that he could have made some of his points more clear. I had a hard time understanding just where he was going with some of his answers to the interviewers questions. Maybe it’s just me because I need things simple and straight forward.

5. 

   4 out of 5

   Randy Benson – Jul 31, 2011

   wonderful. . .includes many stories, including those of Native American societies. . .brilliantly explores concepts of the many different Christian religions. . .

6. 

   4 out of 5

   Lindsey –

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Ryan –

8. 

   4 out of 5

   Carrie –

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Emmy –

10. 

    4 out of 5

    Richard –

11. 

    5 out of 5

    Trisha Abaddon –

12. 

    4 out of 5

    Cyd Madsen –

13. 

    4 out of 5

    Zuza –

14. 

    4 out of 5

    Sonja Snow –

15. 

    4 out of 5

    Kaye Kady –

16. 

    4 out of 5

    Hertzog –

17. 

    4 out of 5

    Fernanda DS –

18. 

    4 out of 5

    Jade –

19. 

    5 out of 5

    Shannon –

20. 

    5 out of 5

    Michael –

21. 

    4 out of 5

    Michelle –

22. 

    4 out of 5

    Craig –

23. 

    4 out of 5

    Jon Anthony –

24. 

    4 out of 5

    Anna –

25. 

    4 out of 5

    Dan Cross –

26. 

    5 out of 5

    Peter Naddeo –

27. 

    4 out of 5

    Shelton Ranasinghe –

28. 

    4 out of 5

    Togckmos –

29. 

    5 out of 5

    Zarates –

30. 

    4 out of 5

    Stefan Gašić –