I’ve gone along for many years hearing about The Power of Myth and The Hero’s Journey. But it wasn’t until the year 2024, some 36 years after it was originally published, that I finally got to hear Campbell and Moyers’s discussion for myself.
Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers
Author: Joseph Cambell
Format: Audiobook
Length: 6 hours (approx)
Read by: Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers
Originally Published: June 1, 1988
Original Publisher: Doubleday
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: May 26, 2024
My rating: 
Thoughts
This is a classic for a reason. It’s one of those works that truly withstands the test of time. And really, it’s just a discussion between two people.
Campbell and Moyers expertly ping-pong off each other (although, this is really set up with Moyers interviewing Campbell; however, Moyers is pretty knowledgeable in his own right) making the conversation lively, entertaining, and incredibly insightful.
I could see this being recreated today, similar to how Cosmos by Carl Sagan has been revived, using more up-to-date examples in television and movies.
Campbell pulls from various mythologies and religions to demonstrate how myth and the hero’s journey are ever-present in stories across time. And no subject is off the table in this conversation.
Although the production (the audiobook is just the audio from the original televised special) is a bit outdated, this should be required viewing/listening/reading for today’s youth.
Overall, I ended up giving this 4 out of 5 stars. The material was very impactful, but I think it would have been better to watch the original program than to read it or listen to the audiobook. I’m just not sure it translates quite the same between media.
