The Hero with a Thousand Faces

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Rating

7.0

The Pequod Review:

Joseph Campbell's seminal book The Hero with a Thousand Faces explores the common themes and structures that appear across mythological narratives. Specifically: "A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man." Campbell is an intelligent and lucid guide through the history of mythology, but his "monomyth" framework (which could apply to most modern narratives too) seems to have limited explanatory value.