Romance of the Grail, Joseph Campbell
Romance of the Grail, Joseph Campbell
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Romance of the Grail
The Magic and Mystery of Arthurian Myth

Author: Joseph Campbell, Evans Lansing Smith

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Unabridged: 9 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 09/04/2018


Synopsis

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.

About Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell is widely credited with bringing mythology to a mass audience. His works, including The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the four-volume The Masks of God, and The Power of Myth (with Bill Moyers), rank among the classics in mythology and literature.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nandakishore on October 29, 2019

I first encountered the ‘Knights of the Round Table’ in – believe it or not – a Walt Disney comic book. It was about “King Mickey and the Knights of the Round Table”, a delightfully juvenile version of the great British legend. But it piqued my interest and I started reading up on anything and every......more

Goodreads review by Julian on May 22, 2022

A book by Joseph Campbell on the Arthurian myths. Therefore, it's learned, authoritative, and riveting to read as Campbell brings together myths from Wales, Ireland, the European continent, the Middle East, and even further afield to support the explanation of the tales featured in the book. The boo......more

Goodreads review by Nick on November 18, 2019

A perfect gem of a book for Arthuriana nerds. Anyone with a love of heroism would enjoy it, I'm sure. Campbell does some neat and entertaining recaps of the myths he discusses, and the discussions are entertaining. This is a collection of talks and essays collected together after his death, so the t......more

Goodreads review by Christine on July 10, 2016

Mind...blown... I have to take Joseph Campbell's work in small doses; it is so dense and packed with revelations that to take the book at a sitting or two would be absolutely overwhelming. I loved how he traced the origins of the Arthurian myths back to Neolithic, Celtic, Roman, and German and even......more

Goodreads review by Patrick on January 01, 2016

I have read and appreciated Arthurian Legend for decades...but not as a scholar. Mythology is not my field but Campbell's scholarship and philosophy has become a very important part of my spiritual outlook. I have always been inspired and intrigued by the deeds and lessons of the Arthurian tales. Th......more