What book did Joseph Campbell write?

• A. The Power of Myth
• B. The Hero with a Thousand Faces
• C. The Myth of Sisyphus
• D. The Golden Bough

Answer: (B)

This question tests your knowledge of Joseph Campbell’s defining work that lays out a universal journey many heroes take. The best answer is The Hero with a Thousand Faces, where Campbell develops the idea of the monomyth or hero’s journey and outlines stages that recur in myths across cultures—departure, initiation, and return. He describes steps like the call to adventure, crossing the threshold, confronting trials, achieving the boon, and coming back transformed. This book is the foundational reference for understanding why different myths and stories often follow a similar arc.

The Power of Myth, while connected to Campbell and his ideas, is a later book derived from a TV series and focuses on applying myth to modern life. The Myth of Sisyphus is by Camus and examines existential meaning, not mythic structure. The Golden Bough is by James Frazer and is an earlier, broader ethnographic study of myth and ritual, not Campbell’s work on the hero’s journey.