Even More Books for School
Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth. I loved Campbell in college, but rereading it now with a critical eye I realize some of the big problems involved - most namely a basic misunderstanding of many other people's traditions and an inherent selfishness to Campbell's whole project. 320 pgs.
J.F. Bierlein, Parallel Myths. By far the best mythology book used for the class I'm TAing for. Lays out the myths, their similarities and dissimilarities while being very careful to make sweeping (American individualist) generalizations, and has a very nice piece at the end specifically about "religious mythology" which is nuanced and sensitive. If you want to read about mythologies, drop Campbell and pick up this one. 368 pgs.
A Tiny Bit of Books For Fun
Reread Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I love this snarky too-clever-for-their-own-good kind of metafiction that really has something profound to say under all the self-conscious writerly devices (David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, I'll argue, is the greatest book of my generation). Eggers tells the story of his parents' death and his subsequent guardianship of his eight-year-old brother, all framed in a painfully self-conscious reflection on writing, life, and celebrity. 416 pgs.
Sometimes It's Just Time to Walk Away
Started and didn't finish Tim Willocks' The Religion: A Novel. Set in 16th century Malta, The Religion tells the story of the dramatic conflict between the Hospitallers and the Moslem armies. It centers around the figure of Matthias Tannhauser, a German trader conscripted as a boy by the Moslems but now weaving his self-centered intrigue among the various political factions in Malta. Now, I'm not against sex and violence per se, but do you really have to be angling for a movie deal this early, guy? Made it to 250 pgs. and put it back in the "to be returned to the library" bag.
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I loved Campbell in college, but rereading it now with a critical eye I realize some of the big problems involved - most namely a basic misunderstanding of many other people's traditions and an inherent selfishness to Campbell's whole project.
I am one thousand million trillion percent on your side with this one.
Campbell has good ideas and tiny sparkly bits of great philosophy but in general his attitude toward the fabric of what he calls myth (which, incidentally, is a reality in a way he is apparently incapable of understanding) is incredibly off-putting. Try as I might, I cannot read one of his books without wanting to throw it at his head.
I don't like him, I respect his mind in a way but in no way do I appreciate the way he uses his intellect. I think he enjoys being "controversial" and tearing down things that mean a lot to a great number of people. Selfishness is the perfect word for it. I have a feeling in the end, Campbell is his own religion, his own god, and the centerpiece of the only myth he can ever believe in.
-Phoenix
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