Romance of the Grail

The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)

By: Joseph Campbell, Evans Lansing Smith - editor

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The first collection of Joseph Campbell’s writings and lectures on the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages, a central focus of his celebrated scholarship, edited and introduced by Arthurian scholar Evans Lansing Smith, PhD, the chair of Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Throughout his life, Joseph Campbell was deeply engaged in the study of the Grail Quests and Arthurian legends of the European Middle Ages. In this new volume of the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, editor Evans Lansing Smith collects Campbell’s writings and lectures on Arthurian legends, including his never-before-published master’s thesis on Arthurian myth, “A Study of the Dolorous Stroke.” Campbell’s writing captures the incredible stories of such figures as Merlin, Gawain, and Guinevere as well as the larger patterns and meanings revealed in these myths. Merlin’s death and Arthur receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, for example, are not just vibrant stories but also central to the mythologist’s thinking.

The Arthurian myths opened the world of comparative mythology to Campbell, turning his attention to the Near and Far Eastern roots of myth. Calling the Arthurian romances the world’s first “secular mythology,” Campbell found metaphors in them for human stages of growth, development, and psychology. The myths exemplify the kind of love Campbell called amor, in which individuals become more fully themselves through connection. Campbell’s infectious delight in his discoveries makes this volume essential for anyone intrigued by the stories we tell - and the stories behind them.

©2017 Publishing Bloom LLC. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Outdated but interesting

The ideas in this book are outdated in light of later Arthurian scholarship but interesting

A Fantastic Resource!

Though this is my first tango with Joseph Campbell, I can see he's written many books dissecting every facet of the lore he's talking about, related, & at times seemingly unrelated lore.

Arthurian Myth is a very sprawling, at times confounding field of study. This title has helped me narrow down good primary sources for reading & studying purpose, much like a lecture or seminar might.

Beginners in the subject will find sources, returners might find interesting concepts & thought exercises!

Insightful and hits like a hammer

I absolutely love this book. The narration in 'Romance of the Grail' by Joseph Campbell hits with the force of the thunder knight himself. It was incredibly easy to listen to, and filled with amazing details. I have never learned so much about Arthurian Mythology as I did through this book. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Joseph Campbell Foundation and Audible

Illuminating and Insightful Woek!

A thorough and fascinating exploration of The Graul Legend with a wonderful narrator. A great listen!

Fantastic!!

I learned so much and I can’t wait to listen to it again. This has opened a new world for me to explore.

MA thesis

The first parts about amour are good but then sounds more and more like a thesis. He's labouring to prove a connection or parallel between medieval and primitive mythemes, and there's the collective unconscious as well, which feels dated in his presentation of it. The names and story elements sometimes washed over me. 3 stars relative to the 5 I give Campbell's other books.