Iron John

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In this timeless and deeply learned classic, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man. Bly's vision is based on his pioneering work with men, as well as on reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John," in which a mentor or "Wild Man" guides a young male through eight stages of growth, to remind the reader of long forgotten-images of deep and vigorous masculinity, with particular care for the young male's soul. At once down-to-earth and elevated, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is an astonishing work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.