book data
170 ratings,
4.04
average rating, 36 reviews
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published
February 7th 2008
(first published 1997)
by Canongate Books Ltd
binding
Hardcover
isbn
1847672248
(isbn13: 9781847672247)
description
Trickster Makes This World solidifies Lewis Hyde's reputation as, in Robert Bly's words, "the most subtle, thorough, and brilliant mythologist we...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 395)
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avg 4.04
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in April, 2009
If Neil Gaiman and Michael Chabon haven't read this book and borrowed concepts liberally, then they are operating in a parallel universe, mining the same sources. It's a rich and deep vein.
Hyde rambles through the many ways Trickster figures influence human thought and action. The idea of the disruptive as necessary, even sacred, to life, has wide distribution. "...the origins, liveliness, and durability of cultures require that there be space for figures whose function is to...more
Hyde rambles through the many ways Trickster figures influence human thought and action. The idea of the disruptive as necessary, even sacred, to life, has wide distribution. "...the origins, liveliness, and durability of cultures require that there be space for figures whose function is to...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone who loves a good story and the story behind the story.
I've always had a bit of a thing for tricksters. My favorite Greek myths always seem to involve Hermes, and I love a good coyote tale.
Trickster Makes This World is an excellent study that tries to get to the bottom of what makes trickster figures so fascinating.
It is excellently researched and well constructed. Lewis Hyde takes through the various aspects of trickster and explores each of those aspects in depth. In each case it is a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion...more
Trickster Makes This World is an excellent study that tries to get to the bottom of what makes trickster figures so fascinating.
It is excellently researched and well constructed. Lewis Hyde takes through the various aspects of trickster and explores each of those aspects in depth. In each case it is a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion...more
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The New York Times Magazine featured this author, Lewis Hyde, a professor at Kenyon College and esteemed writer, several weeks ago and his work sparked my interest. Okay, I admit that dating a Kenyon alum caused the article to grab my attention, and Hyde's best known work, The Gift, intrigues me despite its mixed reviews.
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Read in January, 2008
artists and writers inevitably find themselves to various degrees described in this amazing piece of work by hyde - aren't we all tricksters on some scale or another. a very instructive book into the development of human creativity and social change..
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So, I really want to like this book, but I have abandoned it midway through and read two other books in the interim. The pace is really slow. Trickster shouldn't feel bad though - I abandoned the gardening book I am in the middle of too (winter isn't very inspirational for this). I'll get back to both of them.
If you like Joseph Campbell's writing on mythology, you will like this book too. It has the same sense of expansiveness.
Lewis, I confess, I left you, Eshe, Raven, an...more
If you like Joseph Campbell's writing on mythology, you will like this book too. It has the same sense of expansiveness.
Lewis, I confess, I left you, Eshe, Raven, an...more
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3 comments
Margaret Atwood said it well: ‘Hyde's book is a glorious grab bag stuffed with necessary loot, a joyful plum pudding rich in treasures.’ The thoughtful, well-read, and emotionally astute Lewis Hyde has written an epic/engrossing piece of comparative mythology focusing on the trickster figure. But, more remarkably, what results is a genuine hymn to the unstoppable potential and momentum born from the active human mind; a call to play with the dirt/noise/ambiguity in the world in order to disc...more
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Mentioned by Emily Levine in a talk at TED <http://blog.ted.com/2009/04/a_tricksters_th.php> Sounds interesting.
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Hadn't run across myth analysis like this since I read Hero with a Thousand Faces back in college.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
anybody interested in anthropology or mythology
Fascinating account of Trickster myths and deities from all over the world - Mercury, Hermes, Krishna, Loki, the Coyote and Raven stories of north American peoples, the Anansi and Brer Rabbit stories of the African diaspora... Tricksters crop up in many cultures, mediators between the gods and humanity. They're thieves, conmen, artists, merchants and messengers. Hyde looks at what purpose these archetypes and stories serve in human society, and looks at how the images continue to reappear in mod...more
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This book is good for two reasons: 1. It makes anthropolgy super-interesting by giving raunchy examples of devious (and entertaining) beings; Tricksters 2. It exposed me to the idea of guilt and shame cultures, which every educated person should know about - but somehow I went to college for 9 years and never heard of it.
This book is written by a man who was head of creative writing at Harvard, so if you don't have 50k a year to spend on school, this is the next best thing.
This book is written by a man who was head of creative writing at Harvard, so if you don't have 50k a year to spend on school, this is the next best thing.
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Read in April, 2009
I am a big Joseph Campbell fan, and since this man is considered a mythologist of note, I thought I would give this a try. I hope it doesn't take a turn into scholarly writing about mythology, as my head has no space for that right now.
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Read in March, 2008
A very rich mythological analysis of tricksters and their cosmological function wedded to a series of fascinating critiques of historical figures who fulfill some of the same functions within their societies. I'm going to have to reread this book at some point, as there was simply so much that it was tough to catch it all the first time through. The appendices were also rather worthwhile, particularly the essay on the preponderance of male tricksters.
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Read in April, 2001
recommends it for:
anyone
By far my favorite non-fiction book. The power of the book lies in its ability to explain the enduring presence of trickster myths across a number of different cultures by connecting tricksters with the impulse of artistic creation. By relating tricksters to real-life artists, Hyde demonstrates the relevance of ancient myths to the modern world. The book is elegantly written, compelling, and a pleasure to read. I was awestruck the first time I read it.
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recommends it for:
read "the hero's cycle" or "power of myth" instead!
Meh. Really just unnecessary if you've read Campbell, who already covered this topic (admittedly not as much, though really after reading this, with good reason). Not transcendental. Over-emphasizes the importance of this particular thread in mythology.
Just don't really think we'll find another mythology scholar like Joseph Campbell. He was such an astute and wonderful source that everyone else seems blah and minor in comparison. Oh well.
Just don't really think we'll find another mythology scholar like Joseph Campbell. He was such an astute and wonderful source that everyone else seems blah and minor in comparison. Oh well.
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Read in June, 2004
I still haven't finished this book. It's my long lived goal to never finish this book, because if it were finished, what on earth would I scowl at myself about not finishing? War and Peace? The Gulag Archipelago? No. This book is quality and I'm certain when I finish it, I'll think that even more so. So for anyone mildly interested, the first two chapters are great, couldn't tell ya on the rest.
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Read in January, 2008
The Raven trickster myth has always been my favorite so stumbling across a book that dealt so intimately with tricksters was a joy. I'm not too fond of Hyde's writing style but I did like the way he tied all the myths together - finding the common elements and relating the ideas behind trickster to modern art and the personalities involved in its creation
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Read in January, 2004
Another great book by Lewis Hyde. It's not as exciting as The Gift - but an interesting look at the "trickster" in native cultures and in contemporary life. It appealed to me as a look at the socio-cultural history of people who are Machiavellian types, manipulators, and behind the scenes puppet masters. I think W and Cheney are modern day tricksters.
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I am almost done with this book and it is incredibly fascinating how much these ancient myths play a vital part of our psyche, especially in artistic realms. This is the second book by Lewis Hyde I have read and he is on quite a trend of expanding my understanding of myself and the world around me.
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