Campbell, Joseph.
The Hero With A Thousand Faces
. New York: The World Publishing Co., 1956.
A difficult and complex book. Comparative mythology at its best, and the most complete study of the archetype of the hero available. Contains chapter on initiation.
Frye, Northrop.
Anstomy of Criticism
. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1957.
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Fables of Identity
. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1963.
Both books are to Archetypal criticism what the New Testament is to Christianity.
Fables
, in my opinion, provides the more accessible apologia. First four essays present theoretical matrix through which studies of selected works and writers are conducted. Thorough discussion of archetypal imagery and quest myth.
Hassan, Ihab.
Radical Innocence: The Contemporary American Novel
. New York: Harper & Row, 1961.
A fine collection of essays on the hero in American fiction from 1940 to 1960. Especially good essays on initiation and the hero as victim. Good essays on Salinger and Bellow.
Jung, Carl. ed.
Man and His Symbols
. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Co., 1964.
Collection of essays on comparative symbology. Particularly useful are the essays by Jung and by J.L. Henderson. They contain materials on symbolism, archetypes and myth, and are presented in clear, uncomplicated language.
Lewis, R.W.B.
The American Adam
. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1955.
If you wondered what happened to Adam after he left his garden, well, wonder no more. He has been reincarnated in Lewis’ brillant study as the American everyman. Adamic theme in American literature traced from Emerson to Bellow.
Smith, Henry Nash.
Virgin Land
. New York: Vintage Books, 1950.
The definitive study of the myths and symbols associated with the American West. Excellent discussions of western hero, garden imagery, and significance of frontier in shaping the American character and mind.
