Title: Star Wars: The Power of Myth
ISBN: 0789455919
Publisher: DK Publishing
Copyright: 1999
Reviewed by ami-padme.
Star Wars: The Power of Myth, perhaps like Star Wars itself, is aimed at children but can be enjoyed by fans of all ages. In a little less than 50 pages, pictures from the saga and artwork from a wide variety of cultures connect the Original Trilogy and The Phantom Menace to the components that make up many classic stories.
The book highlights some of the more well-known comparisons that fans -- and this journal -- have discussed and written about before. Jar Jar as The Fool. The Jedi as samurai. Yoda as a Zen Buddhist. The steps in the Hero's Journey. The influence of the King Arthur legend.
But it also explores a few less common ones that readers might find interesting. William Tell, Fionn, Thor, Aeneas, and Roland are included in the opening chapter that introduces Luke Skywalker as a mythic hero. The Minotaur from Theseus's tales is related to the garbage-dwelling dianoga in A New Hope. The speedy and maneuverable X-wings, TIE fighters, and snowspeeders share page space with Pegasus, the winged horse that allowed Bellerophon to kill the slower, fire-breathing Chimera. It seems likely that some readers will use this book to springboard into a deeper study of these topics and stories (a goal Lucas has often mentioned as having in mind when he began writing the saga).
The writing is straightforward and simple, allowing the visuals -- and the details helpfully pointed out on each of them -- to take center stage. This book works as a child's educational introduction to the stories behind the story of Star Wars and as a useful, quick reference guide for adults trying to gain a better grasp on the context of the films. Star Wars: The Power of Myth is worth adding to any fan's collection.
