The Dharma Of Dragons And Daemons: Buddhist Themes In Modern Fantasy Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
In order to live, we need air, water, food, shelter…and stories. This book is about Buddhist stories: not about stories to be found in Buddhism, but about the “Buddhism” to be found in some of the classics of contemporary fantasy including the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Hayao Miyazaki, Michael Ende, Philip Pullman, and Ursula K. LeGuin.Many books are called groundbreaking, but this one is truly unique and sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in fantasy literature. It employs a Buddhist perspective to appreciate some of the major works of modern fantasy--and uses modern fantasy fiction to elucidate Buddhist teachings. In the tradition of David Loy's cutting-edge presentation of a Buddhist social theory in The Great Awakening, this pioneering work of Buddhist literary analysis, renown scholar David Loy and Linda Goodhew offer ways of reading modern fantasy-genre fiction that illuminate both the stories themselves, and the universal qualities of Buddhist teachings. Authors examined include J.R.R. Tolkien, Philip Pullman (of The Amber Spyglass trilogy, from whose works the word "daemon" is borrowed in the title), Ursula K. LeGuin, and the anime movie Princess Mononoke.
Paperback: 155 pages
Publisher: Wisdom Publications; First Edition edition (February 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0861714768
ISBN-13: 978-0861714766
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #805,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #78 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism #462 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Genres & Styles > Science Fiction & Fantasy #514 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > History & Criticism
This is an enjoyable ( and rare) look at Buddhist themes in Western literature. I picked it up for the section on the His Dark Materials trilogy, but was drawn into the section on Tolkien, and was introduced to several works I had never heard of. Just as a book does not need to be explicitly Buddhist to illustrate Buddhist concepts, you don't need to be a Buddhist-or a fantasy reader- to enjoy the literary and spiritual insights of this book.
This is a wonderful book about buddhism. Its interesting how they have changed my perspective with it. I love reading and writing though and I think for someone who didn't it may not be the best, but if you are a writer or fantasy fan that is interested in buddhism its great. Then again I love almost anything written by David R. Loy!
As a graduate student specializing in religion I found this book wanting. If you're looking for a "soft" approach to finding spirituality in popular culture, then this book may be for you. Despite the autho'rs credentials this minimally researched book acts more as a stepping stone to creative thinking about identifying basic Buddhist concepts in fantasy writing than a serious attempt at scholarly inquiry. Often the connections are weak, but I commend Roy for his attempt because the field definitely needs more books that attend to Buddhist themes in popular culture. Instead, I would refer readers to the "Philosophy and XX" series that looks at specific movies/books such as The Matrix, The Lord of the Ring trilogy or The Simpsons.
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