The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Mythos Books)

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Originally written by Campbell in the '40s-- in his pre-Bill Moyers days -- and famous as George Lucas' inspiration for "Star Wars," this book will likewise inspire any writer or reader in its well considered assertion that while all stories have already been told, this is *not* a bad thing, since the *retelling* is still necessary. And while our own life's journey must always be ended alone, the travel is undertaken in the company not only of immediate loved ones and primal passion, but of the heroes and heroines -- and myth-cycles -- that have preceded us.

Book Description

Joseph Campbell's classic cross-cultural study of the hero's journey has inspired millions and opened up new areas of research and exploration. Originally published in 1949, the book hit the New York Times best-seller list in 1988 when it became the subject of The Power of Myth, a PBS television special.

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence.

Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars, the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-25

In the Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell traces the myths and stories associated with the heroic archetype through all the varied cultures and types, also looking at a psychological viewpoint at times. Very interesting from a storytelling point of view, and at something that resonates so strongly around the world.

This book changed my perspective on "Life, the Universe, and Everything".......2007-05-12

Wow. Now that I've read this book I can't believe that I'd never heard of Joseph Campbell before. I started this book slowly, taking in the general idea and getting the point Campbell is making: all myths, religions, epic tales, etc. follow the same basic over-arching pattern. The pattern is plotted out in extreme detail in the book, so I won't go into it here, but it is spot on.

Anyone who has any interest in religion, philosophy, psychology, or the human condition needs to read this book. ALthough it starts out a bit slow and self-evident, by the end you realize that you are reading a book written by a true master teacher. Campbell's clearcut objective explanations are superb and unarguably true. Using examples from the Bible, the Iliad, the Koran, native American folklore, Hindu tales, fairy tales, Eskimo tales, Chinese legends, African tribal rituals, and too many more cultural tales to mention, Joseph Campbell definitively lays out the monomyth and its structure.

The beauty of Campbell's writing is how it sneaks up on you. I was following the general theme of the book and feeling as if I was learning something until around the middle of the book it all clicked. This book is not just about myth, philosophy, or religion, it is about mankind's constant struggle to nail down and explain the human condition. What troubles us is that we can't ever do it.

For this reason, in every culture, there is always a hero story. A hero story that describes the life and adventures and discoveries of one man who broke through the confusing walls of this world we live in and became truly enlightened. What makes this book so perfect, though, is the painstaking detail with which Campbell recounts different parts of different myths, religious tales, legends, and folklore to illustrate the "monomyth" that all these stories are telling.

Be sure to also read the footnotes, as valuable information and references to other interesting novels are often found there as well.

Not sure what all the fuss is about this book.......2007-04-24

I got this book because many people mention that it is the way to learn how people tick. It has been mentioned that this can help with character development in writing.

I couldn't read it.

Maybe I am just not cerebral enough because I thought it was full or obscure references and difficult passages that lost me time and again. I could boil down what I got out of it, which is basically Freud's doctrine about how we all want to sleep with our mother's (or fathers).

There has to be something better out there than this.

If you don't enjoy Psychology / Mythology textbooks you won't like this.

I give it 3 stars because I didn't read the whole thing. Maybe all of the good stuff is after the first 100 pages...

A Master Teacher .......2007-02-22

The master teacher's words live on... It's amazing how Campbell's writings and teachings gain greater power and meaning over time. I recently watched a library rental tape of the PBS aired talks he did with Bill Moyers in 1987. I now plan to purchase these tapes as well as his books.

a piece of the puzzle........2006-12-29

Campbell has got it all figured out. He and Jung are a must read for any one looking to see religion for what it is rather than the misinterpreted mumbo jumbo that has been handed down as fact. This book is also important for writers. Since I am now a writer, and have been devoting myself to that, Campbell's works have been very helpful. Lucas used this book when creating Star Wars. Some of his characters seem plucked from this book. It is a must have for almost any writer, especially fantasy writers looking to create a complete myth/world.

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Brian Selznick Creates Masterpieces!
The man of a thousand faces and the boy of a thousand faces
The boy if a thousand faces
Turn out the lights and read by ... flashlight!

The Boy of a Thousand Faces

Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064410803
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Amazon.com

Alonzo King dreams of being known as The Boy of a Thousand Faces after his hero, Lon Chaney, late star of horror films. Alone in his room he transforms his face with makeup and tape, and then takes pictures with a Polaroid. In a town of nonbelievers, Alonzo is an expert on monsters, vampires, and assorted ghouls. One year, as Halloween approaches (as does Alonzo's 10th birthday), rumors of a mysterious beast start circulating, and suddenly Alonzo's grisly expertise is in great demand. But who--or what--is this horrible beast that crushes gladiolas in the night and leaves claw prints on cars? And will Alonzo's wish for fame and understanding from his friends and neighbors ever come true?

Brian Selznick's black-and-white pencil drawings set a spooky stage for this story of intrigue and imagination. Although the plot is convoluted and faintly perplexing, the overall effect is pleasingly sinister. Close-ups of Mr. Blake, Alonzo's seemingly mild-mannered neighbor and cohort in all things macabre, inspire speculation about skeletons he may be harboring in his own closet. Readers will want to run right out and read The Lost City of Atlantis, or rent the old classic versions of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dracula. Perfect Halloween fare from the illustrator of Andrew Clements's Frindle and Pam Munoz Ryan's Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Because Alonzo King was born on Halloween, he has always loved monsters. But no one would ever guess that he lives in a haunted house with a graveyard out back, communicates with the dead, turns into a six-armed, slime-covered creature, or is a walking encyclopedia on horror films! However, when The Beast arrives, not even Alonzo can track it down. Will he be able to solve the mystery of the creature stalking his town and make his dream of becoming The Boy of a Thousand Faces come true?

01-02 TX Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

Customer Reviews:

Brian Selznick Creates Masterpieces! .......2007-10-17

This is a fun book about the magic movies have over people and their memories. A 10 year old boy is obsessed with having a thousand faces just like Lon Chaney. He watches many films and tries to recall all the faces that Lon Chaney had in different films. No one can really capture in their mind what Lon Chaney really looked like because he preferred to appear in character and the films are what lives on. I am a teacher and I defintely want to read this book and show The Phantom of the Opera to them. It is a great introduction to popular culture, and silent films. Lon Chaney was a very gifted actor and he was a pioneer in movie makeup. It's nice that Brian Selznick, a member of the Selznick family of movie fame, remembers him so fondly. I also remember taking out 8mm movies out of the library and showing them on our Super 8 projector. They were edited versions of The Mummy, Phantom of the Opera, The Wolf Man etc. without sound or music. We loved them, and borrowed them again and again. What memories they have for me.

The man of a thousand faces and the boy of a thousand faces.......2002-11-16

The story is about a boy and his movie make-up. He lives in a town where no one believes in Halloween and monsters....except for him...
In the beginning he was "alone" in a town of non-beleivers. Until the beast arrived, everyone beleived....
~Erin
Age 11

The boy if a thousand faces.......2002-03-14

I thought this was a wonderful book. It had everything a kids book should have, mystery, adventure and best of all it dealt with Halloween, every kids delight, even at 43!

Turn out the lights and read by ... flashlight!.......2000-10-13

Brian Selznick has created a perfect Halloween story book for the younger school age set. They will ask to see "Frankenstein", "Dracula", and "The Wolf Man" after reading and seeing the pictures in this little book of "horrors". The beginning was a little fragmented and slow to grow but once the story was moving to the main problem as to who "the beast" was, you really wanted to know more and why. The ending was very cute; maybe too cute for me, but I'm not 10 years old. The telling of this tale will help parents in getting their kids to talk about their fears, their dreams for the future, their secret desires! The boy hero is a real kid with hidden dreams who is able to finally show those dreams to his friends and family!

The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Bollingen Series XVII)

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One of the best storytellers of our time!

The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Bollingen Series XVII)
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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One of the best storytellers of our time!.......2006-12-15

This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. This is a great book written by a very engaging storyteller. Joseph Campbell describes the monomyth in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces as embodying all the necessary elements of the hero's journey in the many myths in human history. Campbell discovered through extensive research that humankind shares a universal monomyth in its various religions and legends especially pertaining to the creation of the world and humankind. Campbell borrowed the term monomyth from James Joyce's book Finnegan's Wake. Campbell's intuitive insight in human myth proves that for thousands of years these myths display a certain standard structure, which he summarizes beautifully in his book.

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 30).

There are at least four major stages that a monomyth has however, in his book, Campbell goes on to describe seventeen stages that some monomyth's posses. The four stages making up the cycle of a monomyth are "passage: separation-initiation-return:" In the passage stage the hero is summoned to journey or embark on an adventure by some kind of event that takes place or from a message, he receives. The hero may embark on this passage willingly or reluctantly. During the separation stage, the hero meets with a mentor or wise man who gives the hero either an amulet or some words of wisdom to be of help to the hero on the adventure. It is during this stage that the hero will go through his first transformation, also known as "crossing the first threshold," as he crosses over to another world or dimension leaving behind the old world. In the initiation stage, the hero goes through several trials or tests. The hero often receives help in these ordeals along the way by allies or from a supernatural force. As the hero completes these ordeals successfully, he proves himself more worthy to continue the adventure. Most importantly, during this stage the hero must pass through a major ordeal that will expand his consciousness, and thereby change his character forever. Often, this ordeal entails the death of an ally or enemy. Once the hero successful accomplishes his ordeal he is rewarded with a gift, it could be intrinsic like the "holy grail, or it can be new found knowledge to better the world with. The last stage the hero travels is that of the return whence he came. Often the hero will undergo further trials on his return before he is permitted to cross the threshold back to the world he left. During his return journey, the hero will use his newfound wisdom or gift to make a safe return home. Once home the gift is used to cure some ill in the hero's home or to impart new wisdom to his neighbors.

Campbell points to the significance of the monomyth in the fact that it describes the cycle that Moses, Jesus, and Buddha had gone through according to their religious adherents. This is not to mention the hundreds of other monomyths told throughout human history. The monomyth proves that humankind shares a common creation DNA in a sense. The monomyth is the perfect vehicle for one to study the Humanities by.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy.

Lon Chaney: The Man Behind the Thousand Faces

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The only thorough and ojective source on Lon Chaney
The life of a fascinating personality revealed
Excellent treatment
If you want to know who Lon Chaney was, this is THE book!

Lon Chaney: The Man Behind the Thousand Faces
Michael liF. Blake
Manufacturer: Vestal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

If you care at all about silent pictures, about Chaney, about bravura acting and about film makeup, the book is invaluable and perhaps definitive. --San Diego Union Tribune

Customer Reviews:

The only thorough and ojective source on Lon Chaney.......2002-05-28

This was the most extensive biography I've ever read on Lon Chaney. Micheal F. Blake's account of Chaney was excellent becuase the author explains why the man was so sucsessful.
The book mainly concentrates on the impact he left on critics and movie goers. Also,his agenda and work relationships with film makers and various experts needed for subject matter that was essential for unusual plot elements in some of his greatest films. The author further demonstrates how these relationships enhanced his skill, and how that would inspire him to progress beyond what he already achieved in prior films for futer projects.
The auther accounts for his private life with integrity and honor. However, you'll learn of the private life he wanted people to think he had, regardless of how accurate it was, in comparrisson to the truth, and why.
I am a horror/sci-fi fanatic, with an extensive collection of films, novels and magazines spawned from those very genres-minus Lon Chaney!!! I can only account for two Fangoria magazines that have articles profiling him, and they are not very extensive. It's very hard to find information and literature about this man, which is a shame, considering how much he inspired present day movie makers. That's why this book is a must read, especially for those interested in a medium leading to any type of film carreer. If not, if you want to read something different, Lon Chaney is definately that in every which way, and Micheal F. Blake explains why!

The life of a fascinating personality revealed.......2000-06-16

For the decades since his death, Lon Chaney, while one of the biggest stars of the silent era, had remained one of the least-known (about) talents of said era. The life of this amazing, multi-talented individual is finally revealed to us with Lon Chaney: The Man Behind The Thousand Faces. Chaney fans reap the benefits of author Michael F. Blake's 6 years of research. Of the many things we learn: the son, born to deaf parents and his early mastery of pantomime for the sake of communicating with (and entertaining) them. His rather extensive list of theater credits where he practiced and honed his skills at make-up. His entry into films and the amazing body of work that resulted. His rise from bit player to hugely popular character-actor, adored by the public and respected by his peers. His marriages. All this and much, much more (who knew that Chaney was an adept dancer!). A filmography (as complete as can be known), chronology of major events in Chaney's life, and even a glossary of make-up terminology is also provided.

Two highlights: numerous, never-before-seen (at least by me) photos and Blake (himself a make-up artist) reveals the secrets behind many of the actor's "thousand faces", at the same time dispelling many inaccurate "facts" that have been perpetuated over the years concerning said make-up creations.

Whether you're a fan of Chaney or of film history in general, you will find this book invaluable.

Excellent treatment.......1998-09-21

Mr. Blake presented a thorough and convincing telling of Mr. Chaney's life and career. I found it to be quite readable, informative, and delightful in opening to me the life of one of my favorite screen personalities. Blake's book, as well as its subject, Lon Chaney, deserve a place in the highest levels of cinematic lore and recognition. I recommend this book to anyone wishing to know more about Lon Chaney and his times.

If you want to know who Lon Chaney was, this is THE book!.......1998-09-15

The fans of Lon Chaney have never had a detailed biography of the "Man of a Thousand Faces", but no more! Michael F. Blake has written THE BOOK on Chaney, uncovering a tremendous amount of rare material on the actor's life and career. A film/TV makeup artist himself, Blake is able to finally tell us how Chaney really created his famous makeups. The 120 photos, many I've never seen before, are just amazing! This is the book Chaney fans have been waiting for.

Heroes With a Thousand Faces: True Stories of People with Facial Deformities & Their Quest for Acceptance (Cleveland Clinic Guides) (Cleveland Clinic Guides)

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Heroes With a Thousand Faces: True Stories of People with Facial Deformities & Their Quest for Acceptance (Cleveland Clinic Guides) (Cleveland Clinic Guides)
Laura Greenwald
Manufacturer: Cleveland Clinic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This title features real stories of people with facial differences - people whose faces are disfigured as a result of cancer, trauma, or a birth defect. Unlike other disabilities, a facial difference not only affects how one is viewed by others but also how one views him or herself, since so much of our "immediate" identity is wrapped up in appearance. This book explores what it's like to try and live an ordinary life behind an extraordinary face. Although there are commonalities in every story, such as stares, and ridicule, each person faces unique challenges and realizes different outcomes. Each journey is an adventure and each person's story leaves the reader with nothing less than a sense of wonder. The stories in this book include viewpoints of not only the people affected by a facial difference, but also their family members. Peppered among these dramatic stories are chapters on medical and scientific advances, the history of facial plastic surgery, and face transplant.

The Thousand Faces of the Virgin Mary (Zacchaeus Studies: Theology)

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An Exciting Overview of the Virgin

The Thousand Faces of the Virgin Mary (Zacchaeus Studies: Theology)
George H. Tavard
Manufacturer: Liturgical Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints
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ASIN: 0814659144

Customer Reviews:

An Exciting Overview of the Virgin.......2004-12-15

Tavard takes us on an extended tour of Mary, the mother of Jesus, through her various incarnations in this thoughtful and well researched survey. Her Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and pagan guises are outlined, and her modern incarnations and appearances, although denigrated by Tavard, are treated with respect and some measure of equanimity. If you want to learn the essential themes of Mariology through the ages, this is a work that cannot be overlooked.

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Lily Tomlin: Woman of a Thousand Faces
Jeff Sorensen
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Eleanor Parker: Woman of a Thousand Faces

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Eleanor Parker: Woman of a Thousand Faces
Doug McClelland
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810848368

Book Description

This is the first book on enduring Hollywood star Eleanor Parker, long underrated despite three best actress Academy Award nominations (Caged, 1950; Detective Story, 1951; Interrupted Melody, 1955). Parker was a beauty as well as a versatile actress, and her achievements approach those of more publicized colleagues Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn. With Parker's blessing and her son Paul Clemens' cooperation, Doug McClelland has written one of the most thorough examinations of a film star's career. The book is valuable to librarians, academies, and film enthusiasts for its extensive documentation and analyses of all of Parker's work, for the bibliographies of her coverage in books and periodicals, for the portrait of a glamorous, creative era in filmmaking, and for the insights into the careers of Eleanor Parker's associates, many among the most heavily researched motion picture artists of cinema's "Golden Age." The book contains a forward by noted screenwriter William Ludwig, who won an Academy Award for Parker's Interrupted Melody, and afterword by Marjorie Lawrence, the opera singer whom Parker portrayed in Interrupted Melody, and photos of Eleanor Parker that show her in many of her "thousand faces." Reviews of Eleanor Parker, Woman of a Thousand Faces: "...wonderful...the first chapter had me hooked." --Leonard Maltin "This is a book of astute knowledgeability and no little passion...illuminates the fascinating and often obscure facts." --FILMS IN REVIEW "McClelland's book gives some possible explanations as to why the freeze on Parker; if she hasn't an Oscar to her name, this book-tribute may be the next best thing." --HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "...a remarkable amount of documentation...an extraordinary labor of scholarship and love...Recommended." --CLASSIC IMAGES

The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Bollingen, XVII)

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The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Bollingen, XVII)
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: Princeton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures

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Outstanding, lively - like the times it describes
A worthy companion
A great introduction to a master of film
This book is a worthy sequel to Blake's first book on Chaney

A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures
Michael liF. Blake
Manufacturer: Vestal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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For the first time, you can put conjecture aside and read definitive proof about the roles Chaney had behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding, lively - like the times it describes.......2001-07-18

This is a fascinating look at a long-gone time. Mr. Blake's book not only gives the reader great insight into the artistry and work of Lon Chaney, it is a peak into the past, of the days of silent film.

Beyond the other rave reviews for this book relative to the artist, what made this book all the more valuable to me was Mr. Blake's description on movie-making at the turn of the 20th century. We can hear, feel and almost smell the greasepaint of that time, the hard work, the ramshackle artistry of these cinema pioneers.

This is one of the best books on early film, and a credit to the magic of Lon Chaney.

A worthy companion.......2000-06-23

Michael F. Blake's second book on Lon Chaney, A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures, is a worthy and much-welcome companion volume to the author's first book: Lon Chaney: The Man Behind The Thousand Faces. This book serves a two-fold purpose: First, Blake reveals a lot of new information he uncovered about the actor's life and films since his first book. Second, this time around biography takes a backseat to a detailed look at the films themselves (although there is still plenty to be learned of Chaney's life).

Being THE acknowledged Chaney authority and having acted himself at an early age, Blake is able to provide a knowledgeable and well-balanced analysis/commentary of Chaney's films (at least those that are not "lost"). While certainly the biggest fan of Lon Chaney, Blake maintains the needed objectively to fairly critique each film and performance. As with his first book, a big highlight here is the wealth of rare photos presented (including Lon both in and out of make-up), as is the always fascinating information on how Chaney, a make-up master, created those amazing characters. Blake is to be lauded for his vast efforts in keeping alive the legacy of one of the greatest talents of the silent era. Thanks to author Blake, all the many fans of Lon Chaney can be assured that Chaney's many talents and contributions to the world of film (and film make-up!) will never be forgotten.

A great introduction to a master of film.......2000-03-29

Before reading this book, I knew almost nothing of Lon Chaney except his reputation as a horror actor. I was amazed to discover exactly how misleading that title actually was. Blake's work introduced a genius at makeup and pantomime who was capable of playing any role convincingly. Through it, I gained a respect for a great but seldom-discussed actor.

This book is a worthy sequel to Blake's first book on Chaney.......1998-09-29

This is one sequel that is worth waiting for! Armed with new information from the files of Lon Chaney's former business manager, Blake has written a worthy follow-up to his first book on the famous actor. This time, Blake covers Chaney's performances and the making of many of his films in the reader-friendly tone he established in his first book. Blake has broken new ground in film history, revealing that it was Chaney's idea to make "Hunchback of Notre Dame", NOT Universal's studio head, Irving Thalberg!! It is just amazing what new nuggets of information Blake dug up, including lengthy interviews with probably the only surviving crew memeber from Chaney's MGM days and a nurse who attended him during his last trip to New York where he sought a cure of his cancer. He also debunks the myth that Chaney would have played the title role in "Dracula". It is heavily illustrated with many super rare photos. This book is just as good, if not better, than Blake's first effort. Both are a MUST if you're an admirer of Lon Chaney.

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