Buffy and the Heroine's Journey takes the reader through Buffy's journey from movie Buffy through to the Season Eight comics (which I knew nothing about) discussing this heroine's journey as the Chosen One. Similar in some ways to the epic journeys of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, but so different in other ways as Buffy goes from high school to college to adulthood and the various feminine archetypes in the early and late seasons. As the back cover states, "Buffy blends 1990s girl power and the path of the warrior woman with the oldest of mythic traditions." This is the focus of this in-depth study into her character.
As a fan of the Buffy the Vampire series and its spin-off Angel, I was eager to read this book, especially after enjoying Frankel's books on Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Frankel deeply explores Buffy's journey. How she fought against the patriarchy. How unlike other heroes who went it alone, she builds a team who help her battle evil throughout the series. It explores Buffy's relationships with her mother, her sister, each of her friends, her romances with Angel, Riley, and Spike, and her father-daughter type relationship with Giles. This book delves into Buffy's relationship with other slayers like Kendra and Faith, and her role as she trains potential slayers to prepare for an epic battle.
This is an academic look at a cult favorite. It's deep. It's intense. But it's worth the time to read it. I found Buffy and the Heroine's Journey by Valerie Estelle Frankel totally fascinating and am glad to add it to my Buffy collection.
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: McFarland; 1st edition (February 27, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786467924
ISBN-13: 978-0786467921
I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
I read this book for the following challenges:
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2 comments:
I watched the show, once. Had no idea they were books. I'm still partial to the original buffy... Kristy something-or-rather....
Great review though.
The show and the movie are very different, but I enjoy both. Thanks for visiting, Freda.
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