Joseph Campbell collects lectures and essays on the role of myth in modern life, and asks what happens when a society loses its shared stories. He looks at the four functions of mythology, the mystical, the cosmological, the sociological and the psychological, and at what ancient myths of creation, death and heroes still tell us. He draws on Eastern and Western traditions, and speaks about the astronauts and the Moon landing as a new mythic moment.
Readers who know Campbell from The Hero with a Thousand Faces will find a more accessible and varied book. It suits those wanting to think about how stories shape belief and personal life.
Deep and contemplative; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1972
- Language
- EN
