Iron John: A Book About Men Paperback – July 28, 2004

WOW Robert Bly what a treasure! and the story of Iron John has changed my life in away no modern day language could. If you lay awake wondering whats it all about well here's away to wonder some more this story is truly wonder-full I have the audio book too adds a whole new dimension to it. After all it's a story it's suppose to be told not read, that's because it was born before reading and writing. If this too leaves you wondering check out You tube.search Robert Bly and add Micheal Meade for bonus awe If you search well Robert has debridged other more well known but bastardised fairy tales and some not so. If your a parent of young children you may find Jack and the bean stork, an eye opener. And if you are often fleeced or fooled, then Male naivety and giving the Gold away is a must. But Iron John is the story of stories for me, paving male initiation and the right of passage to what men inherently seek. I have been talking with other men for over twenty five years in regards to Iron John and men's recovery of our masculinity and we are far wiser, peaceful and older than our natural years. So please don't waste time if you feel lost in the world today and can't find the words to express where you are and where you're going and honesty don't know, if you should or could or even would then follow us that have gone before you. Sam Keen once said there are only two questions in life! Where am I going? and who's going with me? Though it comes with a deadly warning never get them back to front !!!I wish you Pain, Growth and Joy a long your journey, you might need a canoe LOLwarn regardsPPP

This book isn't perfect. Occasionally, the author draws far fetched meanings, or he makes generalizations that are too broad, but, in general, the book is gold. It's not really a self help book, nor is it a psychoanalytical interpretation of the central myth which he has built the book around. Instead, it is Robert Bly passing down, in the spirit of an elder, everything that he thinks is most important to becoming a man. He wrote the book around the age of 64, and it reads that way. It's like talking to your grandfather. If you can get through the eccentricities, you end up finding a wealth of wisdom; everything that has allowed the man to reach old age and still be happy.In reading it, I found that he stretched the myth sometimes to fit his purpose. Often, there were times when I would have interpreted it differently, and if he were trying to offer the definitive interpretation of the myth, I might object. However, that's not what he's trying to do. He uses the myth as a vehicle for his own understanding. In that way, he creates a new myth, one which is updated for our modern age. On the way, he also creates a vocabulary which, for myself, has helped to organize my thoughts. In particular, I found the concepts of "ashes," "copper," and "the garden," helpful.In short, I'm ready glad I found this book, and I recommend it to anyone who thinks that masculinity is inherently harmful, outdated, or completely meaningless.

The depth of this book is stunning. I love this book so much I bought two additional copies as Christmas presents for my friends.Robert Bly is a fantastic writer. Part poet, part cultural anthropologist, he has a style that is both lush and crisp at the same time. He is clearly a fan of Joseph Campbell; the structure of his book evokes Campbell's style. However, this is no insult. Few have the talent or skill to write in such a breezy yet lucid fashion. And Joseph Campbell is one of the twentieth century's greatest minds. Clearly, Robert is a helluva writer.Robert has an ability to explain complicated emotional states with ease. His understanding of what men need is equally profound. And while the book is far from thick I've found my pace through the book to be deliberately slow; every page is so rich with thought it leaves me with much to ponder.If you're a thinking man who realizes that modern society does not value manhood and that we've been driven away from what men are supposed to be then this book must be read by you immediately. This book acknowledges and explains how deep and multi-layered men really are. This is Fight Club for intellectuals. By it immediately...then buy three more copies for your best friends and make them read it as well. That's exactly what I did!

This book came out when men's groups were everywhere. The myths and metaphors in this book are very powerful but you don't have to be a seasoned member of a men's group to understand it. You do, however, need to possess a working knowledge of psychology in order to grasp the meaning. If you are a man who comes from a seriously dysfunctional family, you will benefit greatly from this book. It explores the emotional geography of being a man and dealing with the complex feelings that come from even the slightest abuses. It is a bit heavy on myth, though. I had Louise Hay to guide me...I wish there were a male equivalent of her for men.