He : understanding masculine psychology ; based on the legend of Parsifal and his search for the Grail, and using Jungian psychological concepts

"Entertaining, informative, thought-provoking, mysterious, poetic. Men who read it will surely learn much about themselves, and women--particularly those who are unfortunately misled into thinking of men as "the enemy"--will find it a real eye-opener."--Ruth Tiffany Barnhouse, M.D., Th.M., Harvard University Robert A. Johnson's classic work exploring the differences between man and woman, female and male--newly reissued. What does it really mean to be a man? What are some of the landmarks along the road to mature masculinity? And what of the feminine components of a man's personality? Women do not really know as much about men as they think they do. They have developed, over the centuries, considerable expertise in the technique of adapting to men, but that is not the same as truly understanding them. Women often labor under the delusion that life is really pretty easy for men, at least when compared to their own lot, and they have no idea what a complicated struggle is really involved in the transition from male childhood to real manhood. As timely today as when it was first published, He provides a fascinating look into male identity and how female dynamics influence men.… (more)

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LibraryThing member Diwanna

This book takes the myth of Parsifal and attempts to explain some basic aspects of masculine psychology. I did not enjoy this book quite as much as We, or She. The main reason is because, although it describes what men need to do during their journey of life, it doesn't really explain or give many

real world examples.The basic premise is that men have a latent or suppressed feminine side of their personality (anima) that needs to be dealt with and accepted instead of ignored.

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LibraryThing member ldmarquet

Myths and legends form powerful expressions of our humanity. It would seem that the most enduring of them are likely so powerful because they tap into some elemental truth of our humanness. If so, a deep reading of the story should illuminate ourselves.

This is what Robert Johnson achieves in He:

Understanding Masculine Psychology, a deconstruction and interpretation of the Grail story. Johnson, a psychologist with Jungian training interprets the tale of Parsifal’s departure from his mother, arrival at Arthur’s court, and search for the Grail.

The Arthurian legends comprise a body of stories with multiple variations. The tales focus variously upon Arthur, the naïve knight, Parsifal (Percival), other knights, mentors, the ailing Fisher King, Queen Guenevere, other damsels and loathsome ladies. Johnson uses the French version, penned as an epic poem by Chrétien de Troyes, in the 12th century because it is the oldest. Being the oldest version, it is simpler, more direct, and closer to the subconscious.

As we follow Parsival through his adventures Johnson interprets them as life transitions for men. In the process we discover antecedents to Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars trilogy, and Harry Potter. At the end we understand that chasing happiness is ephemeral and true meaning and wholeness can only be attained through service to others.

To get us there, I have a worry about the fidelity of Johnson’s retelling of the story, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time.

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