Super Short Summary

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, published in 1949, explores the theory of the "monomyth," or the universal narrative structures found in diverse storytelling traditions. The first part examines the hero's journey, detailing stages such as the call to adventure, supernatural aid, thresholds, trials, and the hero's return. The second part investigates commonalities in creation and cosmogonic myths, linking them to human psychology and the cycles of creation and destruction. Campbell intertwines the hero's journey with cosmic themes, discussing various hero archetypes and their ultimate return to oneness with the universe. In the epilogue, he contrasts traditional mythological contexts with the modern need for internal spiritual quests.