Não sei se no fundo meus interesses mudaram ou alguma engrenagem girou, mas decidi largar este livro depois de empurrar uns meses com a barriga. Li o primeiro da série e, em meio a seus altos e baixos, terminei gostando e interessado a continuar; mas, quando algumas paginazinhas por dia deste me tomavam uma força e um esforço exagerado, e havendo a perspectiva de mais dois livros da série pela frente, não deu para continuar. Não sem aquela fagulha de interesse que move pela novidade. A prosa é muito técnica e as primeiras páginas repetem em excesso muito do livro anterior; apenas adicionam a mitologia egípcia e o texto das pirâmides, e de um jeito muito, muito denso. Faltou Índia, China e Japão. Mas num deu, não.

This was another great book by Joseph Campbell. Some parts left me slightly bored, but honestly, that's not a huge deal for me. I think Campbell really analyzed the Eastern mythologies well, although there were a few tinges of a European take on the myths. Despite the occasional European take, Campbell does his best to analyze the myths for what they are for their culture(s). (I may add to this review a little later, but I'm not too worried about it right now.) ( )

Make no mistake, the Masks of God series by Joseph Campbell is something fierce.

The level of scholarship and devotion to the whole subject of mythology blows me away. Where the first book devoted itself to ancient mythos, the kind we can only infer from lacking sources, this Oriental Mythology tackles time-periods closer to home if not always particularly close.

The exceptions to this are Taoism and Buddhism. Both of these are treated in the perfect storytelling-way that the rest are treated. (And no worries, Christianity will get its day with equal time.)

This is Campbell, after all.

What we get here is Babylonian, Egyptian, Buddhist, Taoist, and a smattering of some others.

Did I enjoy the collective treatment and the positioning that showed us, in grand glory, how traditions and stories carry on from one culture to another? Hell, yeah. Did I appreciate the insight and the perspicacity of the author in laying it out in such an obvious and clear-as-day manner?

What do you think?

Yeah. I'm a fanboy. For good reason. Campbell has reshaped our society in more ways than one. Our whole way of looking at things has changed thanks to him. And no matter what your persuasion, a God Fearing Christian or any other faith, a clear eye is better than none.

I can and will thank the man for this. :)

Never go blindly.



( )

the space given to india versus china, japan is outrageous; and why even include tibet, w the space given to it?

this is not to mention the exclusion of so many other literary mythic cultures of (jfc) "the orient" (korea, vietnam, burma, thailand, mongolia being the major ones)

do i even have to call this orientalist? given the fucking title? but it is orientalist, just to b clear

god the reductionism and stereotyping is HORRIBLE, and all follows the colonial logics laid out by the likes of mircea eliade, jung, and durkheim; ofc, campbell lacks the analytic insight of any competent structuralist ( )

I love everything ever penned by Campbell-highly recommend! Like Bettelheim with European fairy tales, Campbell delves into the ways folktales used to act as cautionary illustrations to channel human behavior. This would be morality based on the way society actually functions, not on church teachings about how the world should be. Younger readers may not grasp how fabulous Campbell’s worldview first appeared because now it is so thoroughly believed, used, and imitated. But writers take note: His books are Number One on the syllabus for Hollywood Screenwriting 101. Everyone working in the arts or education—or anyone human—should read Campbell. ( )