Iron John
by Robert Bly
Bly reads the Grimm tale as a map of male initiation: the wild man, the wound, the mentor. The book that launched the mythopoetic men's movement; poetic and provocative.
Read it if…
you want a mythic frame for masculinity.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want sociology.
Try instead: King, Warrior, Magician, Lover →
Three things you will actually use
- Initiation is missing.
- Find the wild man, not the savage.
- Mentors matter.
Do this first
Read the chapter on the wild man.
Our verdict
Male initiation.
See the book →
Compare with other Character books
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover
Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette · Character
Four archetypes.
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