Marvelous Myths


Book Description

What makes someone a hero? In the early 1960's, the image of a superhero was someone with a square jaw, a muscular build, and a quick smile whose biggest personal problem was trying to keep their girlfriends from guessing their secret identities. Then writer Stan Lee and artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko created a group of superheroes who revolutionized comics. These heroes, including The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-man, The X-men, Iron Man, Captain America and others, were not perfect heroes living in a perfect world, but fallible people with physical ailments and personal problems like our own. While the authors and artists who created them did not intend to write explicitly religious stories, their tales of imperfect heroes who try to do the right thing despite the many challenges they face, provide us with the opportunity to reflect on our own faith journeys as we strive to live heroic lives in the real world. Each chapter reflects on the heroes' most famous adventures and discusses the ways in which we are called to overcome many of the same obstacles they face as we strive to carry out the ministries to which God calls us. Each chapter ends with questions for reflection or group study.




Mirror of the Marvelous


Book Description

For Mabille, the marvelous is a state of extreme poetic tension in which inner and outer realities are joined. Anaïs Nin suggested this book as a source of inspiration, far ahead of its time, for would-be authors seeking to break from the realist literary mold.




Vampires


Book Description

A thrilling treasury of vampire lore! Since the seventeenth century, people have been frightened, mesmerized, and fascinated by the terrifying tales of vampires. In this book, you'll uncover the history and mystery behind these bloodthirsty monsters with folklore, mythology, and poetry from every tradition in the world. From the Bosnian Lampir, whose disease-ridden corpse spread infection and death throughout villages, to Bram Stoker's charming Dracula, who helped define modern-day vampires, the wicked stories surrounding these nocturnal beings are sure to captivate anyone who has ever wondered about these shadow-loving creatures. Whether you're interested in exploring the culture of vampires or just want to learn more about their supernatural abilities, you'll discover dozens of compelling tales, historical accounts, and haunting legends that shed some light on these sinister beings. Complete with detailed illustrations, Vampires reveals the dark allure and gruesome power of these creatures of the night.




The Wonderful Stories Of Oz


Book Description

All 14 Oz books in one single volume and more than 400 brillant illustrations. The books were written, as Baum tells us, as "a modernized fairy tales, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out", with no attempt to "point a fearsome moral" to its readers. Their success was both immediate and enduring, and they quickly won an enormous number of young enthusiasts who remained eager to read "more about Oz" for many years to come. The original story has been adapted and translated and dramatized, and it has also been used as the book for a musical comedy in stage and movie versions. Contents: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The Marvelous Land of Oz Ozma of Oz Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz The Road to Oz The Emerald City of Oz The Patchwork Girl of Oz Tik-Tok of Oz The Scarecrow of Oz Rinkitink in Oz The Lost Princess of Oz The Tin Woodman of Oz The Magic of Oz Glinda of Oz




The Wonderful Land of Bed-Time Stories


Book Description

The Wonderful Land of Bed-Time Stories stands as a monumental anthology that gathers under its wings an illustrious array of tales that have enchanted young hearts and minds over generations. This collection boasts an exceptional diversity in storytelling, ranging from the whimsical adventures in fairylands to the profound moral tales that have shaped childhood ethos across cultures. The anthology encapsulates the essence of literary traditions from the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen to the daring narratives of Jack London, and the whimsical worlds created by L. Frank Baum and J.M. Barrie, making it a treasure trove of literary styles and themes. Its significance lies not only in the collective cultural memory it represents but also in its capacity to inspire imagination and impart timeless wisdom. The contributing authors and editors bring with them rich backgrounds that span continents, centuries, and realms of imagination. From the Victorian enchantments of Lewis Carroll and Oscar Wilde to the pioneering spirit of American letters embodied by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott, this anthology is a cross-cultural dialogue in narrative richness. These authors, belonging to various literary movementsRomanticism, the Golden Age of Children's Literature, and early Modernismcome together to provide a panoramic view of the landscape of children's literature, their collective works echoing the universal truths and fantasies that have historically connected human experiences. For readers seeking an adventure into the heart of childhood's most beloved stories, The Wonderful Land of Bed-Time Stories offers an unparalleled journey. This anthology is not just a collection but an opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of literary craftsmanship across different eras and ideologies. It invites educators, students, and aficionados of classic literature to delve into its pages, to appreciate the nuances of each tale, and to celebrate the enduring power of storytelling. This compilation is an essential addition to any library, promising both the joy of discovery and the comfort of familiar tales retold for generations to come.




Did the Greeks Believe in Their Myths?


Book Description

An examination of Greek mythology and a discussion about how religion and truth have evolved throughout time.




The Magical World of the Lord of the Rings


Book Description

Why are Tolkien's Elves tall? Which monster attacked Tolkien in real life? What legend inspired the creation of Gollum? In his masterpiece The Lord of the RingsJ. R. R. Tolkien drew upon a lifetime of knowledge to create the fantastical world of Middle-earth, a place that has captured the imagination of millions of readers. The Magical Worlds of The Lord of the Ringstells the stories behind Tolkien's stories. From dwarves and elves to King Arthur and Beowulf, the book explores the ancient myths and legends that inspired Tolkien, as well as the ideas and events that sparked his incredible imagination.







Surrealism, Cinema, and the Search for a New Myth


Book Description

This book examines post-war surrealist cinema in relation to surrealism’s change in direction towards myth and magic following World War II. Intermedial and interdisciplinary, the book unites cinema studies with art history and the study of Western esotericism, closely engaging with a wide range of primary sources, including surrealist journals, art, exhibitions, and writings. Kristoffer Noheden looks to the Danish surrealist artist Wilhelm Freddie’s forays into the experimental short film, the French poet Benjamin Péret’s contribution to the documentary film L’Invention du monde, the Argentinean-born filmmaker Nelly Kaplan’s feature films, and the Czech animator Jan Svankmajer’s work in short and feature films. The book traces a continuous engagement with myth and magic throughout these films, uncovering a previously unknown strain of occult imagery in surrealist cinema. It broadens the scope of the study of not only surrealist cinema, but of surrealism across the art forms. Surrealism, Cinema, and the Search for a New Myth will appeal to film scholars, art historians, and those interested in the impact of occultism on modern culture, film, and the arts.




Index to Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends


Book Description

For contents, see Author Catalog.