Iron John
Subtitle: a book about men
By: Robert Bly
Edition: 25th anniversary edition.
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 292
ISBN-13: 9780306824265
Subjects: Men; Masculinity; Psychology
Description: "In this timeless and deeply learned classic, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it means to be a man. Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men, as well as on reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John"--In which a mentor or "Wild Man" guides a young man through eight stages of male growth-to remind us of ways of knowing long forgotten, images of deep and vigorous masculinity centered in feeling and protective of the young. At once down-to-earth and elevated, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is an astonishing work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-291).
Table of contents: title: Preface to the Da Capo edition: Iron John after a decade or so; title: 1. The pillow and the key; title: 2. When one hair turns gold; title: 3. The road of ashes, descent, and grief; title: 4. The hunger for the king in a time with no father; title: 5. The meeting with the God-woman in the garden; title: 6. To bring the interior warriors back to life; title: 7. Riding the red, the white, and the black horses; title: 8. The wound by the king's men; title: Epilogue: the wild man in ancient religion, literature, and folk life; title: The story of Iron John.