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katerinakr's review against another edition
I'd be honest and say I have a very difficult relationship with this book because practically it is a retell of Campbell's work, but at the same time, it has some honesty of its own. Vogler dumbs the Hero down, making me wince sometimes, as if I didn't get some obvious points at first, or that I keep forgetting something, but eventually, it has nothing to do with me. It is all about Vogler's execution. The ending is chilling -- Vogler truly used his own structure, not Campbell's to finish it, and as with Lion King it went fine, though this eerie aftertaste is left, and everything seems plainer.
If you don't have stamina or time or courage for the original of this work, but I doubt you don't have those, please, start with the source.
If you don't have stamina or time or courage for the original of this work, but I doubt you don't have those, please, start with the source.
babettes's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.75
I disagree with him on a lot of things. My favorite movies do not fit his ideas of what makes a good movie. I like the slow pace, realness, and tenderness of some films. Of course he brings up how subverting the standard is important, but he still seems to guide the readers towards it. There are some character tropes that I think are completely unnecessary that he emphasizes (particularly the mentor). I am not really interested in making blockbuster movies so I don't know how much of the book I could use in my writing.
andrewgillsmith's review against another edition
5.0
Indispensable for a modern writer.
I tend to judge books that are based in mythology rather harshly. Not because I dislike mythology--on the contrary, I studied it in college and have continued to do so my whole life. I love it. I love it so much, in fact, that I can be rather like a helicopter parent when it comes to the subject. If anyone unworthy approaches it, I first cast a Paddington-style hard stare. Then, if necessary, I pounce.
Oh, but Vogler gets it. He truly gets it. He understands the churning, cthonic power of Jungian archetypes. He has mapped the well-travelled but seldom described narrative grooves that evolution has carved into our brains.
I'm so grateful for this book, and I'm sure other writers feel the same.
I tend to judge books that are based in mythology rather harshly. Not because I dislike mythology--on the contrary, I studied it in college and have continued to do so my whole life. I love it. I love it so much, in fact, that I can be rather like a helicopter parent when it comes to the subject. If anyone unworthy approaches it, I first cast a Paddington-style hard stare. Then, if necessary, I pounce.
Oh, but Vogler gets it. He truly gets it. He understands the churning, cthonic power of Jungian archetypes. He has mapped the well-travelled but seldom described narrative grooves that evolution has carved into our brains.
I'm so grateful for this book, and I'm sure other writers feel the same.
gemmahenrynovels's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent and practical advice with lots of examples to draw from. A must read for anyone who dreams of becoming a writer.
velarin's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.25
It's a neat guide book through the Hero's Journey and a good point of reference for future writing.
But I have to admit I wasn't engaged for majority of this book. The examples of films and narratives are extremely outdated, which is a shame for a book that teaches mainly through examples.
I want to think that I will open this book one day when struggling with a piece of writing but the truth is I will probably find better resources online. I have a vague inkling that I should be rating this book lower, maybe my averagely high opinion of it will change with time.
But I have to admit I wasn't engaged for majority of this book. The examples of films and narratives are extremely outdated, which is a shame for a book that teaches mainly through examples.
I want to think that I will open this book one day when struggling with a piece of writing but the truth is I will probably find better resources online. I have a vague inkling that I should be rating this book lower, maybe my averagely high opinion of it will change with time.
michelleful's review against another edition
5.0
All the while I was reading this book, I was getting all sorts of ideas for how to modify and extend the plot for a story I'm currently working out, and that alone made this book worth the price of admission. It describes several archetypes for characters and how they can combine, and then goes through the stages of the "journey" that that protagonist (and possibly other characters, depending on length and scope) undergoes in the course of a story. The worked-out examples from well-known movies were quite useful.
The book is titled "Writer's Journey" because Vogler wants you to consider your own life as a journey with all these tests and ordeals you have to go through. It sounds a bit wacky and new-agey but I actually found it quite a liberating and inspiring idea, and it helped me get back into another project I'd been procrastinating on for a while. So this book was doubly worth it, in the end! And I think I'll probably skim it again every time I plot out a new story, to glean new ideas.
The book is titled "Writer's Journey" because Vogler wants you to consider your own life as a journey with all these tests and ordeals you have to go through. It sounds a bit wacky and new-agey but I actually found it quite a liberating and inspiring idea, and it helped me get back into another project I'd been procrastinating on for a while. So this book was doubly worth it, in the end! And I think I'll probably skim it again every time I plot out a new story, to glean new ideas.
the_bitextual's review against another edition
4.0
Like, I knew everything already, but to see it written down was nice, and all.