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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 Movements & Methodologies Social Psychology & Interactions Sociology Inspiring Funny Ancient History Classics Hinduism 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)

What listeners say about The Hero with a Thousand Faces

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

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

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.

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15 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Epic read/listen

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.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Very Interesting

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

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Dry delivery

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.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Narration problems

I’m not sure who decided on this narrator but he’s not well suited to this type of writing! I can imagine he’d be good narrating a thriller, not something of academic significance. It’s off putting, and the footnotes supplied by additional voices is also confusing to listen to. The whole thing only becomes clear when I’ve got the book on hand, as it can otherwise seem like a lot of semi coherent rambling and non-sequiturs. The overwhelming sense I get while listening to this is that the narrator is just speaking words and has no idea what any of them mean.

The book itself is a classic!

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36 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great audiobook

I loved it but please learn how to pronounce Oisin. Was painful to hear it pronounced so poorly. Actually all the Irish is pronounced terribly.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely superb and more relevant now than ever!

A book every child should read early in life to prevent disconnection from the soul.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Modern myths

There is more to this than the hero's journey which has served as the blueprint for modern storytelling in television, film and video games. This is a book about world mythology and its importance in story of mankind. Through his study of comparative myths and religions from around the world both old and new he distills the essential truths that each of them represent. A genuinely life changing read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it. Perfect way to clear the mind

Loved the content.

I found the voice acting could have been more modulated and more passionate. It was good enough to keep my attention but could have kept it more 😂

I’d recommend the book to anyone who wants to be a hero and wants to belong in a crowd. Poetic and literal like the title of the book 😂❤️

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great content. Depressing Narration.

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.

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13 people found this helpful