The Hero with a Thousand Faces

The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell

By: Joseph Campbell

Narrated by: Arthur Morey, John Lee, Susan Denaker

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.

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)

Hard to finish

I love the ideas that Joseph Campbell has given us in his career. I just don't think this book is a concise enough presentation of those ideas. I listen to lots of different audio books while driving, and many are very engaging. This one just wasn't... I could never follow what was being presented, and it seemed all over the place. I don't think the material was "over my head," I just think I got bored listening to it. Often times the quotes from the myths and stories read by the female and the british narrators were just thrown in without introduction or explanation. I would occasionally hear an idea that resonated with me, where I'd think "ohhh cool!" But that happened only once in a while, in the middle of a sea or drawn out boring narration.

Sorry, love JC, but not this audiobook:

magnificent

the books flows wonderfully, and is a great look at story for any writer that wishes to write in a much loved and guaranteed fashion. the only thing that might have been off, was the different narrators coming in at random times.

Very detailed

Interesting read but I did need to pay attention. I really enjoyed listening to fables from countries and cultures you don't usually hear about. Well worth a listen.

Absolutely astounding

A touch wordy at times with the storytelling which could’ve been condensed but overall an in-depth study of mans inteface with reality as told through stories. Amazing that these stories have a common theme, common structure, and are archetypal in nature. Convinces one that there is an evolutionary basis for the way the stories are presented influenced by the structure of man’s thought process.

Great for information but not likely leisurely

Great for information but not likely to be picked up for leisurely reading. I found this book to be very insightful.