The maiden king cover

The maiden king

by Robert Bly

In The Maiden King, two wise teachers guide us through the rich, metaphorical world of an ancient folktale to explore the possibility of a new relationship between masculine and feminine. Here, both women and men will find a vision of the powerful feminine, an energy our contemporary world has not been able to receive or sustain. This book presents a map of the sorrow both men and women feel today in relation to each other, and it provides a guide to their eventual reconciliation. The steps of reunion are not laid out in sociological language, but rather in the ancient language of metaphor, which retains an astonishing color and vividness. Ultimately, by the end of The Maiden King, both masculine and feminine find a place of intersection where they can discard their false projections of each other.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?