📚 Literary Hero's Journey Explorer
Discover how classic literary works follow Joseph Campbell's timeless Hero's Journey structure. Explore each stage, compare different books, and understand the magic behind great storytelling.
The 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey
Joseph Campbell identified this universal pattern in myths and stories across cultures. Each stage represents a crucial part of the hero's transformation from ordinary person to enlightened being.
Ordinary World
The hero's normal life before transformation
Call to Adventure
The inciting incident that starts the journey
Refusal of the Call
Initial hesitation or fear
Meeting the Mentor
Encountering a wise figure who gives advice
Crossing the Threshold
Committing to the adventure
Tests & Allies
Facing challenges and meeting companions
Approach to the Inmost Cave
Preparing for the major challenge
The Ordeal
The crisis point of the journey
The Reward
Surviving and gaining something important
The Road Back
Beginning the journey home
Resurrection
Final test and transformation
Return with Elixir
Coming home changed with wisdom to share
The Hobbit
(1937)Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Hero: Bilbo Baggins
Genre: Fantasy
The Odyssey
(-800)Author: Homer
Hero: Odysseus
Genre: Epic Poetry
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
(1997)Author: J.K. Rowling
Hero: Harry Potter
Genre: Fantasy
The Lord of the Rings
(1954)Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Hero: Frodo Baggins
Genre: Fantasy
The Alchemist
(1988)Author: Paulo Coelho
Hero: Santiago
Genre: Philosophical Fiction
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
(1949)Author: Joseph Campbell
Hero: The Hero
Genre: Mythology
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
(1950)Author: C.S. Lewis
Hero: Lucy Pevensie
Genre: Fantasy
The Wizard of Oz
(1900)Author: L. Frank Baum
Hero: Dorothy Gale
Genre: Fantasy
The Hunger Games
(2008)Author: Suzanne Collins
Hero: Katniss Everdeen
Genre: Dystopian
The Great Gatsby
(1925)Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Hero: Jay Gatsby
Genre: Literary Fiction
To Kill a Mockingbird
(1960)Author: Harper Lee
Hero: Scout Finch
Genre: Literary Fiction
The Catcher in the Rye
(1951)Author: J.D. Salinger
Hero: Holden Caulfield
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pride and Prejudice
(1813)Author: Jane Austen
Hero: Elizabeth Bennet
Genre: Romance
Jane Eyre
(1847)Author: Charlotte Brontë
Hero: Jane Eyre
Genre: Gothic Romance
1984
(1949)Author: George Orwell
Hero: Winston Smith
Genre: Dystopian
The Handmaid's Tale
(1985)Author: Margaret Atwood
Hero: Offred
Genre: Dystopian
The Kite Runner
(2003)Author: Khaled Hosseini
Hero: Amir
Genre: Literary Fiction
The Book Thief
(2005)Author: Markus Zusak
Hero: Liesel Meminger
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Road
(2006)Author: Cormac McCarthy
Hero: The Man
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
The Martian
(2011)Author: Andy Weir
Hero: Mark Watney
Genre: Science Fiction
The Night Circus
(2011)Author: Erin Morgenstern
Hero: Celia Bowen
Genre: Fantasy
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
(2017)Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hero: Evelyn Hugo
Genre: Historical Fiction
Circe
(2018)Author: Madeline Miller
Hero: Circe
Genre: Fantasy
The Midnight Library
(2020)Author: Matt Haig
Hero: Nora Seed
Genre: Philosophical Fiction
Klara and the Sun
(2021)Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Hero: Klara
Genre: Science Fiction
Based on Joseph Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" • Created for Reading Curator