The Hero's Journey

Fans of Joseph Campbell's books on comparative myth and religion will enjoy this amalgam of interviews, speeches and conversations, a spin-off of a film documentary of the same title produced by Cousineau. A spiritual autobiography of sorts, the book ranges widely, from Cro-Magnon art to Arthurian legend to marriage as a "sacrificial field," as it follows Campbell from his Catholic boyhood and early interest in American Indians to his years in Paris and Munich, through his travels and teaching at Sarah Lawrence. We watch as he discusses poetry with Robert Bly and meets Jung, who explains to him the meaning of the Hindu syllable "Om." Campbell's comments are quotable: "If marriage isn't a first priority in your life, you're not married." His prompting to "follow your bliss" here takes on the meaning of working out one's inner myths to gain a sense of direction.