I like Joseph Campbell, but often you just want to yell, "give me a list of the archetypes already and some modern examples!" If you've ever felt that way, "Heroes & Heroines" is your book. A grand total of 16 archetypes are explored -- eight for men, eight for women. Each one is summarized with a simple four-paragraph character study, followed by a listing of qualities, virtues, flaws, styles, and common vocations. A short, but surprisingly dense section follows, where different permutations of archetypes are put together to explore how they clash, mesh and change.
The book is at its best when it references characters from movies you've seen. It was written in 2000, so some of the films named are a bit dated, but you'll get the gist even if you've seen none of the many classics cited.
