The Adventures of Lando Calrissian (Star Wars)

Book Description

For the price of one, you get three Lando Calrissian novels: LANDO CALRISSSIAN AND THE MINDHARP OF SHARU, LANDO CLARISSIAN AND THE FLAMEWIND OF OSEON, and LANDO CALRISSIAN AND THE STARCAVE OF THONBOKA. You know him as a gambler, rogue, and con-artist; Lando's always on the frontier scanning his sensors for easy credits and looking for action in galaxies near and far.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A series of three novels, all fairly ordinary. This is the story of some of Lando Calrissian's adventures before the events in Star Wars. Here, he has a lot of success in card games. He wins the Millenium Falcon, and then he wins a droid. A lot of hijinks for a smooth talking gambler and adventuruer.

"Don't call me master!" - Lando Calrissian to Vuffi Raa.......2007-06-18

I have always liked Lando, but after reading Shadows of the Empire, I wanted to read more about him. His characterization was really great in that book. Therefore, when I discovered a book about Lando I bought it. I found these adventures about Lando Calrissian a real treat. As for the book, it is really "three books in one": The first book "Lando Calrissian and the The Mindharp of Sharu", the second book "Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon" and the third book "Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of Thonboka". These books were published well over twenty years ago and about 150 pages a piece individually, so now they have been published together in one volume.

I have heard some statements saying that these books or adventures really don't give a great deal of background on the rogue that is Lando. Consequently, I would disagree. I feel this book might not produce a lot of history or origins of the character, but does exploit personality traits and behaviors that aren't seen in the movies. For instance, we all know from the classic Star Wars films that Han Solo won the Millennium Falcon from Lando in a card game. However, that card game is called sabaac, which is a lot like Black Jack. Now in this book Lando is a master at sabaac and purposely goes out of his way to play the game. He finds it somewhat cathartic. Lando also has a smooth sense of fashion and makes sure he had a nice pair of clothes on, when in public and in private. He also relies on his brains instead of his brawn. This basically means that he carries a only a small blaster and his street smarts. Also in the beginning of the first story, he just "won" the Millennium Falcon in a game of sabaac. In addition, he cannot fly the spaceship at all, which is quite a contrast from the final battle in Return of the Jedi. Again, most of these traits aren't seen in the classic Star Wars film.

Now I will break down each story in this book.

Lando Calrissian and the The Mindharp of Sharu:

Lando has just won the Millennium Falcon and is loving life, despite the fact he has a hard time flying it. He is playing a game of sabaac when one of the players "slips out" some information about a treasure in the Rafa System. In this opening game of sabaac, Lando wins a droid named Vuffi Raa, who I will speak of later. Lando ends up getting involved with a Governor, with questionable standards, and Rokur Gepta, a sorcerer (who I will also go into detail about later) in order to find the Mindharp of Sharu. The Mindharp is a relic of an artifact that is riches to end all riches. However, Lando has to deal with a subservient race of people, life crystals and a planet that has red sand and a green sky.

Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon:

This story finds Lando and Vuffi Raa traveling to the Oseon system. This is a system of thousands of broken asteroids which life forms have inhabited. Lando of course is there to score some credits playing sabaac. He and Vuffi Raa are at the Oseon during the yearly Flamewind. The Flamewind is the release of "unknown" gases that produces different colors in the skies between the asteroids of the Oseon System. The colors vary from every color in the rainbow. It is almost like fireworks that light up the entire sky. The Flamewind also has a strange side effect, it tampers with spaceships in flight and electronic devises. The entire Flamewind paints a backdrop for a story that involves political scandals, drug deals, Rokur Gepta, a burnt out fleet of soldiers and a narcotic police officer that is a huge orange parrot.

Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of Thonboka:

This time around, Lando and Vuffi Raa are aiding an alien race of naïve, omnipotent, pacifist pseudo manta-ray like aliens; oh these aliens are also transparent. This race is named the Oswaft and is being hunted down again by Rokur Gepta and his navy. Gepta has conjured up a way to destroy the Oswaft, despite this alien race's power and intelligence. Once Gepta finds out that Lando is involved, it is a two for one. Since this is the third book of three, many characters and situations from the two prior books are brought in. This allows for many aspects to be explained and loose ends tied up.

Out of the three stories, I enjoyed the Flamewind of Oseon the most; I really liked the story and the backdrop the Flamewind painted. These stories themselves aren't very long, so they are a quick read. However, a little more development in each story wouldn't have been a bad thing. There were some interesting characters and situations that could have been explored a bit more. Consequently, the stories seem to end before they really had a chance to pick up.

After reading some other reviews of this book, I have come to an astonishing conclusion. Many Star Wars fans are persnickety and snobs. The most detrimental element to Star Wars can be a Star Wars fan. Allow me to explain, (many) Star Wars fans love the Star Wars universe, but have no problem ripping it apart. For instance, I can't tell you how many "Star Wars fans" I know that hated every single one of the prequel movies (Episode I, II and III). Yet, these "haters" are the first in line to buy tickets; they might stand in line for 24 hours just to buy tickets for a movie they know they will already hate. In addition, these same groups of "fans" use the argument that the newer movies suck when compared to the original trilogy. They also abase George Lucas and call him a sell out and he doesn't care about the true vision of Star Wars. Okay first of all, you can't compare the original movies to the new ones. The original films are classics and no movie maker, even George Lucas, can top the magic of the first three films. This fact doesn't automatically mean the new trilogy is trash or not worthy. As for George Lucas being a sell out and doesn't care about the vision of Star Wars, that is dumb. George Lucas created the world, characters and other varies aspects, so why would he create all this if he didn't care? George Lucas created a prequel trilogy to complete the saga and give the fans a treat and now he is a sell out. If it wasn't for George Lucas, these Star Wars "fans" would have had no identity growing up. They also wouldn't have really cool IM names like HanSolo_69 or DrYoda1984. I guess they are biting the hand that feeds them. I say get a life, job and a boyfriend/girlfriend.

The reason for the former diatribe is this same notion of hating Star Wars becomes very apparent in the reviews of these Lando Calrissian tales. Many people stated that Lando didn't seem like the same guy we all knew from the Star Wars saga. Alright, first of all Lando really wasn't in the movies all that much, so how do we know what Lando was really like? Lando sold out Han Solo to Darth Vader, in order to save his city. Darth Vader put Lando between a rock and a hard place. Therefore Han Solo is captured; Lando feels remorse and redeems himself by aiding in the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Omitting some smooth dialogue and blowing up the (second) Death Star, that is Lando Calrissian in a nut shell. People are saying about Lando's actions in these stories, "I can't imagine Lando doing that!" "It is so out of character for him to do that." Doing what? Lando didn't kill children, rape woman, abuse animals or wasn't flat out evil in any of these stories. He was and is an adventure, gambler, grifter, astute in humor and looking to make a quick buck/credit. Do any of these former qualities make him an abomination in the Star Wars universe? Or just contribute to the character we already knew?

I did really like two of the other supporting characters in the Lando Calrissian adventures, Vuffi Raa and Rokur Gepta. Vuffi Raa is a three foot high starfish shape droid that Lando wins in a sabacca game. He is a very comforting and smart droid and becomes Lando's good friend. There is a nice chemistry between both of these characters and the result is very funny. There is an ongoing joke in all three stories, Vuffi Raa is always calling Lando "master" and Lando always replies by saying "Don't call me master".

As for Rokur Gepta, he is the villain in all three stories. He is also called the Sorcerer of Tund; I love how Tund sounds just like Tundra, a cold, desolate piece of land which really mirrors the character. He is pretty much the poor man's version of a Sith Lord in these tales. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all, I found Rokur Gepta to a very enjoyable character. I do wish there was a bit more development around him, as well as Vuffi Raa. I wouldn't mind reading more about either one of these characters in future Star Wars books. The only familiar faces in these stories are Lando and the Millennium Falcon.

This is the sixth Stars Wars book I have read, it could be the ninth if I count all three stories in here as single books. After all, they were originally published as three books in the early 1980s. Anyway, I have discovered that most, if not all Star Wars novels I have read have many of the same aspects: characters/planets/systems/alien races with strange names I have a hard time pronouncing, different cant, technology indigenous to the Star Wars universe and the reader needs to use his/her imagination remembering it is only a book.

When I say it is only a book, I am stating that don't let the story destroy the Star Wars saga for you. For instance, I read the Star Wars "Bounty Hunter Wars" trilogy last year. These books took place in various points in time during Episodes IV, V and VI. Now we all remember from Return of the Jedi/Episode VI that Boba Fett fell into the Sarlacc Pit and was eaten alive. Well in the "Bounty Hunter Wars", Boba Fett survived the Sarlacc Pit and was again on adventures. For those of you that didn't read those books don't worry anything with regards to plot haven't been spoiled. The only reason I bring it up is because this book can really alter the movies, yet it didn't ruin my experience reading those books, as a matter of fact they were great books. I do wish there was a book out there that explained why Obi-Wan Kenobi took the first name Ben. Why not Barry, Ted or Philip?

I digress the Lando Calrissian Adventures is a quick read that is fun and different. These books were written right when Return of the Jedi came out, so the tone of these books isn't the same as the Star Wars books written today. L. Neil Smith used earth terminology when writing this book: cigars, cigarettes, manta-rays, etc. and written style that is different from Star Wars novels written currently. This again doesn't make this a lousy read, just a different approach. As formally noted, I wish L. Neil Smith elaborated more on each of these stories, but it didn't kill the book(s) for me. Besides it is in "The Flamewind of Oseon" that Lando grows his famous mustache. Overall, these aren't the worst books I ever read, they aren't the best I ever read, but as a non-persnickety Star Wars fan, I found it an enjoyable read.

Some Redeeming Qualities.......2007-03-31

As a big Star Wars fan, I found that I both loved and hated this book. I realise it was written in the 1980's, and before the EU was out at that. Mindharp Of Sharu was really hard to get through. I winced at the corny writing, the thin plot, and what today are considered anachronisms in the Star Wars universe. I really groaned when the author threw in the Trix rabbit at a random inapropriate time in Flamewind. What really worked well for this book was the subplots. The concept of the Centrality, Vuffi Raa, the Oswaft, and especially the strange subplot of the Renatasian System made the series redeemable. I would love to see further EU stories expand on these things in future books. I also liked that it was a refreshing look at the Star Wars universe that showed that it got on without the Jedi or Sith involved in absolutely everything.

The somewhat left-field adventures of Lando Calrissian.......2007-01-10

Separating them from most of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the Lando Calrissian Adventures by L. Neil Smith were actually written during the release of the original movies (all three were published in a six-month span right after Return of the Jedi in 1983). They take a sharply different tone from the largely more serious novels that started with Timothy Zahn's trilogy in 1991. Except for the inclusion of Lando and the Millennium Falcon, they barely feel like Star Wars stories at all.

In Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, Lando is the brand-new owner of the Falcon and is just about to win Vuffi Raa, a quirky meter-tall starship-shaped droid who will be his constant companion through these three novels. Vuffi is a fun character and I did enjoy the banter between him and Lando; however, at the same time, Lando speaks in a way I find highly unbelievable and very little like his character in the films. Smith tends to amplify small characteristics of Lando's speech and use them mercilessly. For example, if you noticed Lando saying "you pirate" a couple of times in the films, be ready for dozens of variations on that.

Lando and Vuffi set off for the Rafa System, where they quickly find themselves in hot water with the local authorities and Rokur Gepta, the Sorcerer of Tund, who is to be their primary adversary throughout the three novels. Turns out all is not as it seems and they set out to discover the mysteries behind the legendary Mindharp and the strange disappearance of the Sharu people millennia ago. It's a fine story but doesn't feel like it is a Star Wars story; it could easily have been transplanted from any sci-fi franchise with Lando pasted on top.

Smith writes in a flowing manner that is easy to read and entertaining. He does a particularly good job with a chapter dealing with Lando escaping a deadly life-crystal tree and Vuffi essentially resurrecting himself after being shot with hundreds of arrows. The prose is strong and it's the kind of scene most of these books would blow by without pausing. Smith manages to make it gripping and interesting.

Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu is a quirky and ill-fitting book when taken in context of the entire Expanded Universe. It hovers between two and three stars for me, but I'm rounding it to three for its sheer novelty value and readability.

Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon is the second book in the series. It picks up fairly closely on where the first volume left off, with Lando finding that prosperity is not all he dreamed it would be. Seems he and Vuffi Raa made have made some enemies on their way to the top, including a certain nefarious Sorcerer of Tund.
Much like the first book, Lando is forced into a mission by mysterious conspirators. This time he and Vuffi must transport two officers of the law through the beautiful but deadly Flamewind of Oseon (a gigantic stellar storm impacting the Oseon system annually) to arrest the richest man in the universe, Bohhuah Mutdah. Of course, all is not as it seems, especially with the mysterious assailants who are stalking our dynamic duo and the fate that awaits them on Mutdah's personal asteroid.

Like the first book, Flamewind of Oseon is a short and easy read. There really isn't too much to the plot, as most of the pages are either concerned with setting up the story or simply getting Lando and Vuffi to the asteroid for the final confrontation. Also like the first book, there is virtually nothing to tie this to Star Wars beyond Lando and the Falcon. Smith does attempt a casual link between Rokur Gepta and the Empire, but there's not much to substantiate it.

Speaking of Gepta, he must be one of the most stereotypical, virtual-mustache-twirling villains in the Star Wars universe. He is purely EVIL and delights in the destruction he causes. Like a second-rate Bond villain, he also delights in spelling out his EVIL plots to his victims to showcase his incredible cleverness. In a completely ridiculous sequence, he uses his new method of "torture-by-chagrin" on Lando, which forces the recipient to relive bad memories (but they are enhanced to be much worse). This is just silly.

The three books have a large amount of Earth-based terminology sprinkled through them, such as cigarettes, rabbits, and Doppler radar. Of course, Marvel gave us a six-foot tall rabbit in Jaxxon as a main character for a few issues and The Phantom Menace even gave us ducks, but it seems a little too frequent in this book to keep that "galaxy far, far away" feel.

Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon is very much like the first book Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu in style and feel. Since the novelty value is gone for this volume, I'm giving it the two stars I considered giving to book one.

Lando Calrissian and the StarCave of ThonBoka weaves together some of the events and many of the characters of the first two volumes to bring some closure to the story. This volume is the most far-out of the three, involving gigantic vacuum-breathing transparent creatures, kilometers-long droid starships, and a few surprising revelations about our main characters, including Lando's faithful sidekick Vuffi Raa and the malicious Sorcerer of Tund, Rokur Gepta.

This third volume is written in the exact style of the first two: large doses of humor, gambling vignettes, Earth-based terminology, and flamboyant dialogue. Lando and Vuffi get in one scrape after another but with all the humor it is hard to feel very concerned. However, Smith does continue to write in a broadly entertaining style and I will admit that this encouraged me to read and digest these three books very quickly. Also like the first two books, this story feels tangentially connected to the Star Wars universe we know at best, although some sources have retconned various aspects of the story into the more familiar modern framework (such as specifying Gepta's role under the Emperor or locating and explaining the Centrality sector of the galaxy).

The inhabitants of the titular StarCave are the massive vacuum-breathing Oswaft. An adventurous young Oswaft named Lehesu is befriended by Lando and Vuffi, leading to their involvement when the Empire decides the Oswaft are a potential threat to galactic security. Rokur Gepta has been designated by the Emperor to control fleet operations in this sector, setting up the final conflict between the EVIL Sorcerer and our hero Lando. The plotline from the second volume concerning old fighter pilots from the Renatasian system hunting down Vuffi for vengeance is also resurrected and concluded. Even Ottdefa Osuno Whett resurfaces from Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu and is pivotal to the book's climax.

My favorite addition to the Expanded Universe to come from this series is Vuffi Raa, the one-meter tall starfish-shaped wunderkind of a droid. His sparring with Lando is amusing, if a bit relentless, and his storyline turns out to be one of the most intriguing parts of the trilogy, especially when his past and purpose are revealed in this book. We'll probably never see another book feature Vuffi in any substantial way, but it would be fun to see him return and play a role somewhere in the post-Return of the Jedi era.

The Lando Calrissian Adventures as a whole are a somewhat peculiar and left-field addition to the galaxy far, far away, but it's nice to see a different perspective occasionally and read stories that try for a more light-hearted tone.

BORING AND FULL OF PLAGIARISM.......2006-11-11

I read these immediately after finishing James H. Schmitz' _The Witches of Karres_ when I was a high school student around 1985 or so. I remember thinking I had just read the names of a list of items in the cargo hold in the last book I had just read--sure enough, L. Neil Smith plagiarized straight from _The Witches of Karres_.

While the plagiarism rankled a bit, I continued to work my way through them. The books are the most boring and ill-conceived I've read. Save yourself the time and read Eddings, Lackey, Moon, or McCaffrey--or even Schmitz' _The Witches of Karres_. All write much better than this plagiarizer.

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The Adventures of Lando Calrissian
L. Neil Smith
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVQLKI

The Adventures of Lando Calrissian: Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu/Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon/Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka

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The Adventures of Lando Calrissian: Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu/Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon/Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka
L. Neil Smith
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVPK8C

STAR WARS: THE LANDO CALRISSIAN ADVENTURES

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STAR WARS: THE LANDO CALRISSIAN ADVENTURES
L Neil SMITH
Manufacturer: Del Rey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GZAHAM

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Masks of God, Vol. 1: Primitive Mythology

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Other Books
A Review For the Series Entire (& a Brief Review of This Volume)
A Very Inspiring Read
Weaving of many golden threads
Peering into the ancient past for the myths of mankind

The Masks of God, Vol. 1: Primitive Mythology
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140194436

Customer Reviews:

Other Books.......2007-09-03

Part of Joseph Campbell's whole mythology series, he traces the myths and religions of the West and details how they change from small groups such as in Greece worshipping various gods, goddesses and other beings, up to the much more narrow and borrowing monotheistic stuff that is dominant in most of Western culture more recently.

A Review For the Series Entire (& a Brief Review of This Volume).......2006-12-25

A Myth is not a lie, but, like Art, a rendering of Truth. Subsequently, religion is the extension of myth through ritual. Despite the titles, these texts are as much about religion as myth, and the works are all the better for it. Campbell skillfully explores the Human experience, and what Man has made of it, over the course of these four seminal works. At times, one feels the influence of Toynbee, but Campbell has gone beyond the author of A Study of History and into a world all the more full of wonder.

Man is the most conscious participant in Nature, and, as the Image of God, the only creature capable of reshaping Nature according to his own interpretations of its meaning. These little shapings, which we call art, myth, religion, culture, and philosophy are the stuff a rich existence is made of.

Stated simply, this work dutifully charts the progress, derivations, and points of origin of these shapings. Campbell's prose is warm, friendly, compassionate, loving but stern, and creative. One could not ask for a better introduction to the Man's works.

Primitive Mythology is the first in the series, and deals principally with pre-civilization and those cultures only recently adopting modern fetters (such as Micronesia, Polynesia, and other communities of the Pacific.) Campbell gives an apt alliteration of those first experiences universal to all (dark, womb, birth, youth, middle age, old age, and death) and those factors that thus contribute to all mythologies. In doing so he sets the stage for what he will later present as a tour through the localized fragments of a universal language.

For those not familiar with some of the artistic themes discussed in this and other works, Campbell's Mythic Image (Illustrated Edition) makes a strong companion.

A Very Inspiring Read.......2006-08-30

Well, it took some years, but I finally finished reading Campbell's, "Masks of God" series and I must say I agree with another reviewer as Campbell has indeed saved the best for last.

What set this one ("Vol. IV: Creative Mythology") apart from the other three to me, is that Campbell presents ideas which can be directly applied to your everyday life and looks towards the future of mythology (which we are all a part of!) rather than strictly recounting a history of the world's mythological past. There is plenty of mythological history in, "Creative Mythology," but it is all presented as background for looking towards the future...

As far as Campbell's own written work is concerned, to date I've read his other three, "Masks of God" books and of course his, "Hero with a Thousand Faces." I've actually read, "Hero..." a few times over and it remains my favorite of his books so far, but, "Creative Mythology" is now a close second.

The entire, "Masks of God" series is well worth reading, but unlike, "Hero...," they are all big, dense books that take quite sometime to get through. If you're only going to pick one in the series, my recomendation would be to make it, "Vol. IV: Creative Mythology." It's exciting and inpiring and a real tour-de-force.

Unfortunately, I suspect that many people start with the high ambition of reading the entire series and then never finish it. Hence, they miss out on reading this great book which is a shame. Don't let that be you!

Weaving of many golden threads.......2006-08-14

I've used Campbells' works and derivatives thereof as source material before; however, this is the first time I've sat down and read it cover to cover, instead of a chapter here, a section there.

The thing I love about his work is that he weaves in anthropology and psychology with mythology to create a multilayered piece of writing that is nothing short of adventurous. Not only does he give thorough explanations for why he makes his theories, but his style evokes the settings for these myths, both the gods themselves and the humans who worshipped them.

"Primitive Mythology" is an absolute must-read for anyone wanting to get past Neopaganism 101. His history of the various rites that came out of hunter/gatherer and agrarian societies will pretty much put to death any of the "Wicca is as old as the cave paintings!" arguments, but also offer ample material for creating one's own primitve belief system.

In short, Campbell was a master at what he did, and this book is proof positive of that. Read it, enjoy it, learn from it.

Now, on to the rest of the series...

Peering into the ancient past for the myths of mankind.......2006-03-20

[Amazon's link to reviews of PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY is the same as CREATIVE MYTHOLOGY]
PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY is the first book of four MASKS OF GOD, which surveys the "power of myth" from the beginning of mankind's known history. It is not the easiest of reading. There are frequent breaks in the form of long quoted passages. In the latter part of the book Campbell catalogues the diffusion, or spread, of mythic themes from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, which I found tedious, in part because I have no previous background. But beyond a little tedium and some dense prose, this book is immensely rewarding.

The ancient myths, reflective of either hunting or planting cultures, lay a foundation for an understanding of how the major religions evolved. Certainly, the major religions, human-assembled as they are, did not grow out of nothing. There were certainly traditions, ancient beliefs, ways of coping and explaining the thresholds of experience - that became a part of later belief systems. Some of the myths, especially those that involve sacrifice, even human sacrifice, even the sacrifice of kings, challenge the understanding. The book traces the common, worldwide themes that occurred either out of diffusion or as common origination.

The writing is like a booming symphony, with far-flung associations and big leaps from very many specific references to abstract generalization. There are several particularly fascinating milestones in primitive myth. One occurred in Mesopotamia between 3500-2500 BC when it dawned on the priests of the time that there was a heavenly order that not only included the sun and the moon but also the prominant planets; and that that heavenly order was, or could be, extended to earth. That insight or vision inspired the first know written word, music, the development of numerical systems, mathematics, geometry, a calendar system. Another milestone involves the amazing Paleolithic caves in France and Spain, which mark as Campbell states "the first precisely pin-pointed mythogenetic zone", and also the first instance of a human articulated sacred space as in a temple, antecedent to the great cathedrels of Europe.

The masks of God: primitive mythology / Joseph Campbell

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The masks of God: primitive mythology / Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell
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ASIN: B0007ESSYO

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THE MASKS OF GOD: PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: The Viking Press
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THE MASK OF GOD:PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY
JOSEPH CAMPBELL
Manufacturer: Viking Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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The Masks Of God: primitive Mythology
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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THE MASKS OF GOD: PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: The Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The masks of God: primitive mythology / Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: Viking Press
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Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B000MNB3LA

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THE MASKS OF GOD: PRIMITIVE MYTHOLOGY.
Joseph. Campbell
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Masks Of God - Primitive Mythology, Volume I

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Masks Of God - Primitive Mythology, Volume I
Joseph Campbell
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
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