Reviews

Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine by Joseph Campbell

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maximum_moxie's review against another edition

Abandoned halfway through. The book suffers from its format, first of all--it's less an organized book than a series of lectures which refer to each other, repeat information, and sometimes contradict. Secondly, it has the same weakness of many modern interpretations of mythology: there's little solid evidence that these interpretations are even close to correct. The writing style is lovely and lyrical, but this book is much too fluffy for me.

inarticulateblog's review against another edition

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challenging informative slow-paced

4.0

sulaluna's review against another edition

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5.0

Love this book. Inspiring.

lanceschaubert's review against another edition

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4.0

Rather than write a review of this man's life work, I'd rather just cite the various posts I've written about him in the past:

• Monomyth Definition: A Defense of The Hero’s Journey
• Hindu Monotheism : The Upanishads and Vedanta
• Follow Your Bliss : Results of Joseph Cambell’s Advice
• The New
Hero: Tolkien and Subversion
• Joseph Campbell Religion :: Did Joseph Campbell Believe in God?
• Joseph Campbell Religion :: Did Joseph Campbell Believe in God?
• Was Joseph Campbell atheist?

And because I like having fun, the Zero with 1,000 Faces

Mark: Got a new lighting rig and arrangement that I want to test out, but I need something that changes and moves around a bunch. You up for a challenge?

Lancelot: [silence. I’m thinking…]

Mark: Day… in the… studio?

Lancelot: New lighting set up?

Mark: Yeah, it’s–

Lancelot: What if I tapped into my old thespian and modeling skillset and tried to give you as many faces as possible?

Mark: So… you’d… wait. Like trying to get me to mix it up as you mix it up?

Lancelot: Yes. You’ll keep me on my toes, making sure the faces are all different. I’ll keep you on your toes so you switch your style.

Mark: Sounds fun.

Lancelot: We’ll call it… [Dr. Evil voice] THE ZERO WITH 1000 FACES.

Mark: [Quiet for awhile, then:] Okay.

Well we got into the studio and I brought exactly four billion props and costumes.

aliciaking3's review against another edition

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5.0

This exceedingly well-edited collection of essays, lectures and notes by Joseph Campbell was useful in seeing his overall opinion of goddesses in mythology and the goddess as she appears in various mythologies.

pocketvolcano's review against another edition

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5.0

Joseph Campbell is one of the best authorities on mythology and early religion. This book has gathered together a lot of his speeches and writings on the Goddess, and he discovered the threads of the innate religion that was in various parts of the world thousands of years ago - a worship of the Mother Goddess. This tome threads together the rituals, the histories and shows how ancient civilizations worshipped the same gods and the same Goddess just by different names. What I found most fascinating is how he expertly shows that the Christian religion is another product of the ancient myths given new form and may be connected to the mysteries of ancient Eleusis. I’d never heard of this theory but the threads he has woven together makes it perfectly reasonable and logical. I adored this book!