Special Book Review (No. 5)

Special Book Review Number 5

Title: The Masks of God (4-book series)

Author: Joseph Campbell

Summary: The four-volume magnum opus was Campbell's most comprehensive attempt to lay out his theories of the history of myth and religion. Published between 1959 and 1968, Campbell's The Masks of God covers mythology from around the world, from ancient to modern. Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces focused on the commonality of mythology (the "elementary ideas"), the Masks of God series focuses upon historical and cultural variations the monomyth takes on (the "folk ideas"). Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces draws perhaps more from psychology, the Masks of God series draws more from archaeology and history.

Breakdown of Info: 4/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 4/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 4/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 17/20 stars

Goodreads Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Joseph Campbell's The Masks of God series was a fantastic series. It really balances out his work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. I had a couple of issues with the series, mostly with how slow certain parts of each book felt. Additionally, there were also a couple of parts and phrases where it felt like Campbell was judging Eastern mythology from a Western perspective, which bothered me a bit. However, this only happened a couple of times throughout all 4 books, so it wasn't a major issue for me. (And considering the time when Campbell wrote this, although I don't agree with Campbell's analyses, it's understandable.) While you don't need to read each book in the order they were written and are in the series, I do recommend giving these books a read.

For the specific reviews of each book, refer to the following Instagram posts:

1. Primitive Mythology review
2. Oriental Mythology review
3. Occidental Mythology review
4. Creative Mythology review

Special Book Review (No. 5)

Special Book Review Number 5

Title: The Masks of God (4 book series)

Author: Joseph Campbell

Summary: Written between 1962 and 1968, Campbell's 4-volume work The Masks of God covers mythology from around the world, from ancient to modern. Where The Hero with a Thousand Faces focused on the commonality of mythology (the "elementary ideas"), The Masks of God series focuses upon historical and cultural variations the monomyth takes on the "folk ideas."

Dates Read: March 28 to July 2, 2021

Breakdown of Info: 4/5 stars

Diversity of Opinion: 4/5 stars

Minimum Bias: 4/5 stars

Use of Research: 5/5 stars

Overall: 17/20 stars

Review: Joseph Campbell is a fantastic writer and mythologist, and these 4 books show his dedication to the craft. While there were a few parts that definitely felt dated (and are dated), The Masks of God, however, is the only book series that take such a detailed, comprehensive look at mythology as a whole and in all of its forms. I definitely recommend giving these books a read. What makes it better is that, while they do act as a series and build upon each other, it's not necessary to read them in order. Additionally, it's not necessary to read every single book.

See the individual reviews at the following links:

1. Primitive Mythology review
2. Oriental Mythology review
3. Occidental Mythology review
4. Creative Mythology review

All About Joseph Campbell

I don't want to give a long, in-depth history and life story of Joseph Campbell. He was an interesting, unique man, and I do want to discuss him today. But here are some links you should check out before continuing with this post is the name "Joseph Campbell" doesn't ring a bell:

1. Joseph Campbell - Wikipedia (whoever says Wikipedia isn't your friend is wrong)
2. Goodreads for Joseph Campbell
3. Joseph Campbell Foundation
4. Joseph Campbell Foundation - YouTube

Honestly, Joseph Campbell and his life amaze me to no end. In this post, I want to talk about his professional life. Many of his theories touched so many aspects of our lives, even in ways we aren't necessarily aware of. (It's too bad I can't do an actual interview with him . . . I'll just have to settle for The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers.)

The first, and probably most important, theory is that of the hero's journey, which Campbell put forward in his work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Essentially, it's the basic formula for all the journeys that heroes go on in folklore and mythology.

Here are two links that can help with a better understanding of the hero's journey:

1. KU Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction
2. Hero's Journey 101: Definition and Step-by-Step Guide (With Checklist!)

There is a piece of cinema that took Joseph Campbell's theory of the hero's journey piece by piece and replicated it in its world and movies. The director was heavily influenced by Campbell and his work, which led to its influence in the world. Ever heard of George Lucas and Star Wars? You have? Yup, George Lucas used the hero's journey exactly for creating the Star Wars mythos. And you can definitely see it once you're familiar with the basics of the hero's journey.

I first learned of Joseph Campbell's work through the first episode of the show Myths & Monsters (you should be able to watch it on Netflix). I immediately got to looking for - and then buying - some of his bools.

I honestly think that these simple connections between myths - how many heroes across cultures and times - have to go through similar journeys that were summed up in Campbell's theory. It most likely wasn't intentional, especially in early history when connection to other cultures was extremely limited. However, These connections came from a human need to idealistic figures. The figures - showing themselves as heroes in one form or another - would show humankind what to do and what not to do, and they gave us the ideals for what humans should and shouldn't be.  As a result of this common, basic human need, many of the hero stories ended up being similar to those of other cultures when you get down to the basics of the story.