Had to look up words like henotheistic and cathectic. Didn’t learn anything useful until page 384: “No tribal rite has yet been recorded which attempts to keep winter from descending; on the contrary: the rites all prepare the community to endure, together with the rest of nature, the season of the terrible cold.” Etc. And on the next page: “…anyone in exile from the community is a nothing. From the other point of view, however, this exile is the first step of the quest.” Which made me think of my trans friends.
Robert Graves was easier to read, if less plausible.

Along with Kafka, Joyce, Asimov, and Gibson, Campbell has earned himself a spot as one of the authors that have had the greatest impact on my psyche and the way I see the world. Easily one of my favourite books ever. Campbell's prose is poetic, yet succinct. He puts his points across in a beautiful way through myths and legends from all over the globe. I found that every chapter lead me down a road of epiphany and wonder, and I know for certain I'll be coming back to this book throughout my life. ( )

Campbell explores the theory that mythological stories often share a fundamental structure. The similarities between these myths led Campbell to write his book describing the structure of the monomyth. He calls the motif of the archetypal story "the hero's adventure". In a well-known passage from the introduction to The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell summarizes the monomyth:

A hero ventures from the everyday world into a realm of supernatural wonder: there, fabulous powers are encountered and a decisive victory is achieved: the hero returns from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow blessings on his fellow man ( )

Campbell onderzoekt de theorie dat mythologische verhalen vaak een fundamentele structuur delen. De overeenkomsten tussen deze mythen brachten Campbell ertoe zijn boek te schrijven waarin hij de structuur van de monomythe beschrijft. Hij noemt het motief van het archetypische verhaal "het avontuur van de held". In een bekende passage uit de inleiding van The Hero with a Thousand Faces vat Campbell de monomythe samen:
Een held waagt zich vanuit de wereld van alledag naar een gebied van bovennatuurlijke verwondering: daar worden fabelachtige krachten aangetroffen en wordt een beslissende overwinning behaald: de held komt terug van dit mysterieuze avontuur met de kracht om zijn medemens zegeningen te schenken ( )

I doubt I read it all the way through, but between the Bill Moyer show and reading enough of the book to make notes, and encountering Campbell elsewhere, I have a pretty good grasp of the concept if not all of the examples. I will revisit Campbell in general to see if he still resonates 20 years later. ( )