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The fascinating biography that illuminates the man whose work changed modern culture * Gives a complete biographical view of Campbell's life and a personal perspective of who he was through the voices of his friends and colleagues * Written by two of Campbell's preeminent students with exclusive access to his notes and journals Joseph Campbell forged an approach to the study of myth and legend that made ancient traditions and beliefs immediate, relevant, and universal. His teachings and literary works, including The Masks of God, have shown that beneath the apparent themes of world mythology lie patterns that reveal the ways in which we all may encounter the great mysteries of existence: birth, growth, soul development, and death. Biographers Stephen and Robin Larsen, students and friends of Campbell for more than 20 years, weave a rich tapestry of stories and insights that catalogue both his personal and public triumphs.… (more)
User reviews
I find Campbell fascinating for a lot of reasons: he certainly was involved with many of the luminaries of the twentieth century and apparently held his own intellectually with them.
This book has encouraged me to reconsider trying to tackle Finnegan’s Wake with the help of his skeleton key. Also I need to turn more directly to his works. At this point the two that seem to draw me the most are The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Inner Reaches of Outer Space. The later because it apparently sums up a lot of the conclusions he came to and because he equates Science Fiction with myth. I had come to a similar conclusion years ago that Science fiction was becoming modern mythology. My grasp of the relationship between Myth, society and self awareness was not developed the way Campbell developed his ideas.
It does seem many people from across the social and political spectrum gained a lot from reading what he had to say.
For me the question is will good intentions keep me on track to studying more of what he had to say.