Review: Iron John
Redactionele recensie - Kirkus ReviewsStrong words about strong and weak men from poet and critic Bly (American Poetry, p. 845, etc.). Using as his metaphorical text the Grimm fairy tale ""Iron John,"" Bly offers ""an initiatory path in eight stages"" to allow men to recapture a sense of healthy, responsible masculinity. He advocates a male role-model midway between he-man and nerd--a man ""in touch with the Wild Man"" within. In so doing, Bly condemns the ""soft male"" so sought after--he says--by many feminists of the 60's and 70's, arguing instead for a return to the ""deep masculine."" He lauds the ""joyful hunting"" of young boys, suggests that a loving clout from father to son can be a useful thing, and recommends the psychic process of Katabasis, or descent, as a complement to the desire for ascent and purity. Such thoughts harken back to traditional ideas of father-son relations, and Bly bolsters bis views with references to various ancient mythologies--Celtic, Greek, and older. He also leans heavily on psycho-jargon (""bringing the inner king back to life,"" etc.) and seems to have little sensitivity to orthodox religious views of the family. Fortunately, his sometimes pop-eyed beliefs rest on a firm foundation of personal experience, both his own (""I count myself among the sons Who have endured years of deprivation. . ."") and that of the many men who have attended his workshops on ""initiation"" into the ""male spirit."" Tough-minded and bracing, but too workshoppy.
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Nathaniel Nathaniel - GoodreadsI haven't learn anything about male initiation other than what I already knew. And what I knew, was a bit different and far more useful than what Robert Bly explains. It seems that he tries to put ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Mike Smith - GoodreadsGreat insight to the male psyche. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Timothy Takach - GoodreadsI liked this and what Bly has to say about contemporary man. I enjoyed the 1st third the best, when he discusses man's relationship with his Father and also his children. I also enjoyed reading about the different places in mythological history where "Iron John" shows up. Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Robert Snow - GoodreadsKind of a New Age book on being a man in the modern world. If you missed your right of passage and were estranged from your father as a young man this book is right up your alley. The book was all ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Ganesh Rao - GoodreadsBly's observations and conslusions are the same time incisive and insightful. It was almost as if he were painting a picture of my life. Profound and at the same time earthy, men can easily relate to ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - SmokingMirror - GoodreadsJust so my friends don't think I rated this book unthinkingly--I had some deep reservations about some of the conclusions of this book. In fact, I think that the book "Hammering Hot Iron" is a better ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Erik - GoodreadsThis rating is probably not fair as I actually did not read this book. After the first few chapters I felt it was way out there. I just was not in the mood and did not want to waste my time with what ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - GoodreadsThe author heavily overlays his own personal philosophy onto the folktale of Iron John. While I appreciate his effort to reclaim our inheritance as men, I just couldn't follow him to his conclusions. Not what I was looking for, and ultimately was disappointed.
Review: Iron John: A Book About Men
Gebruikersrecensie - Maggie Trinkle - GoodreadsAs a divorced mother of a young boy, I thought I'd check this out. I've read several books on parenting boys, but thought I'd look into this in the "what's gone wrong/what's missing" in manhood these ... Volledige recensie lezen
