Iron John : A Book About Men (Vintage)

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Robert Bly
Publisher:	Vintage
Release date:	04 February, 1992
List price:	~~$13.00~~
Our price:	that is 100% off!

Iron John : A Book About Men (Vintage)

Average rating: Stars

In the end, it's just another fairy tale

This book looked good, perhaps insightful, maybe even fascinating... until I got to the point where the guy started quoting Bruno Bettlehiem. While most people aren't going to be familiar with the name, Bettlehiem was an expert on folklore and mythology who tried to pass himself off as a reputable psychologist. He ruined the lives of millions of people by stating unequivocally, with nothing but a hunch and his collection of fairy-tails to back him up, that autism (a neurobiological condition present in-utero) was actually the result of bad mothering.

It was then that I realized that maybe fairy tails, such as the fairy-tale of Iron John, can tell us something... but we shouldn't assume that just because something is old that it's Timeless Wisdom. This is especially true as the fairy tales and myths explored in this book are all the products of patriarchal cultures. Ultimately, although this book is "food for thought," I wouldn't consider it a complete meal.

Iron John : A Book About Men (Vintage) - Robert Bly

A deep and transforming analysis

There are different types of men. There is something every man will feel while reading this book, whether he agrees with the author or not. Robert Bly and his vision of man is only one of its kind. Other men may or may not look down on certain masculinities as unevolved nor regard some of the evolved versions that Bly points as worth a second thought. But by and large most men who read it will be bound to agree with much of what the author has to say about men.

Men live in a void. Gender pyschology excludes the masculine as a pre-given abstract. Some extreme feminist writings reduce masculinity to a unilateral abstraction -- power-seeking, domination-seeking, subjugating, victimizing etc. That's not however what men understand about men.

For a long time there was a need for a masculine articulation of what the masculine is. An articulation that cuts across stereotypes, prejudices, and reactive opinions to do justice to the totality that is man.

This book does not exactly reach this totality but comes as near as any book I have known. By allowing men to understand themselves better, this book opens them to realizing what their true self is, way beyond the confusing mass manufactured stereotypes of both 'Man' and 'New Man'.

Furthermore, it transforms men by making them aware of their wounds and of unrealistic attempts at escapism and of what can heal men.

Robert Bly - Iron John : A Book About Men (Vintage)

AMUSING READ

I gave this one four stars simply because I did enjoy the author's style. He is good, there is no doubt about it, even if some of the points he is trying to make take page after page after page after page.......you get the picture. These endless pages are indeed well done if you just enjoy the word craft. That being said, the overall premise of man finding his true self, via this story, is a noteworthy endeavor, I admire that, but this one is a bit over the edge for my taste. Like a couple of other reviewers, I simply missed the part where this could be applied to my life, or anyother life I could think of, for that matter. Now don't get me wrong, I love fairy tales and folk tales, have a large collection of them as a matter of fact. I must admit to being one of those who look with a jaundice eye at this sort of thing..I am probably much too meat and potatoes to be able to really get the point here. On the other hand, there are some very good points brought up here, some food for thought, so the book, overall, is well worth the read...on several levels and I do recommend it.

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