The Hero with a Thousand Faces cover art

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell

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The Hero with a Thousand Faces

By: Joseph Campbell
Narrated by: Arthur Morey, John Lee, Susan Denaker
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About this listen

Since its release in 1949, The Hero with a Thousand Faces has influenced millions of readers by combining the insights of modern psychology with Joseph Campbell's revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In this book, Campbell outlines the Hero's Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all of the world's mythic traditions. He also explores the Cosmogonic Cycle, the mythic pattern of world creation and destruction.

As relevant today as when it was first published, The Hero with a Thousand Faces continues to find new audiences in fields ranging from religion and anthropology to literature and film studies. The book has also profoundly influenced creative artists - including authors, songwriters, game designers, and filmmakers - and continues to inspire all those interested in the inherent human need to tell stories.

©2008 The Joseph Campbell Foundation (jcf.org). Third edition (with revisions) / 1968 by Princeton University Press. Second edition (with revisions) / 1949 by Bollingen Foundation and published by Pantheon Books. (Original edition), year 2008 (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Customs & Traditions Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Social Sciences Sociology Tradition Mythology Inspiring Funny Ancient History Classics Comparative Mythology

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Critic reviews

"Arthur Morey, John Lee, and Susan Denaker are an adept and experienced performance team. The way they trade voices adds texture to the complex compendium of stories." ( AudioFile)
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This book has inspired works and research that I admire, that's why I decided to listed to it.

It's written in a language that is a little inaccessible (perhaps because it's older).

The different narrators are good in of themselves but the devision between them confuses me. What I mean is that it is not intuitively clear to me why one voice is narrating at any specific point.

I gave it the rating I did because although it confused me a little I think that a second listen might clarify the message in the work. It may be that this text needs to be read with a purpose as opposed to an 'easy' listening book.

I think I am going to need to listen again...

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Extremely well structured and well read. The depth in which the author goes into each topic is quite ever powering at times, which I see as a good thing. It definitely deserves a second and dare I say a third listen, especially for a man like like myself, not so well versed in the mythology and phycoligy.

Epic read/listen

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Can't wait to listen to it again. So much interesting information. Very intriguing comparisons.

Very Interesting

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I had previously read this book years ago as part of a scriptwriting degree, and a return to it in audio book form has been an interesting experience.The delivery of the reading was quite dry in places, though fortunately they do have other people in to read certain stories which does break up the otherwise monotonous tone.

Dry delivery

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The narrator sounded bored with life.

The overarching thesis that the human psyche is the same across cultures and can be analogized in the myths and legends that have persisted in these different places and times should inspire life not drudgery.

I'm referring to the main narrator. Somehow the others were much better. They had pep.

Great content. Depressing Narration.

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This was a great esoteric and philosophic exploration of Hero Mythology. I enjoyed the breadth of quotes from various cultural and interpretive sources and the change in voice for clarity and emphasis

Great exploration of Hero Myths.

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Took blogger/podcaster Tim Ferriss' recommendation on this one and like always, he comes up with good shouts. My three star scoring though is based on the structural organisation of this book and the plethora of myths discussed. Whilst Campbell threads ideas together through themes common to all hero myths/stories at times it felt disjointed. I would have resonated more with an order based on chronology or geography with each of the similarities between the heroes/myths/stories discussed in that context.
Still Campbell's body of work is superb in it's breadth and extremely interesting for anyone interested in human history/RE/myths and what it means to be human searching to understand the divine through the stories of our individual and collective cultures.

Glad I persevered but hard-going.

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I was looking forward to this book as I've been deeply into Carl Jung recently and this seemed like something I'd enjoy.

Sadly, I've given up trying to finish this book a few chapters in. I find the main male narrator unlistenable (the other marl and female narrators are totally fine that do sections).

He sounds like he is reading from a book but givkng zero thought to it's actual meaning. Every intonation is the same.

Main narrator ruined it

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loved it- wonderful narration and beautiful context and content. very educational, entertaining and intellectually comprehensive.

Brilliant! super informative and expertly narrated

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This was a very educational listen, but was hard going in places. Some chapters felt too long, but educational none the less.

Good, but a tough slog in places.

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