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    The Adventure Illusion: Why Life is Not a Journey

    The Adventure Illusion by Gusman, Simon; Kleinherenbrink, Arjen;

    Why Life is Not a Journey

      • GET 20% OFF

      • The discount is only available for 'Alert of Favourite Topics' newsletter recipients.
      • Publisher's listprice GBP 19.99
      • The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.

        9 025 Ft (8 595 Ft + 5% VAT)
      • Discount 20% (cc. 1 805 Ft off)
      • Discounted price 7 220 Ft (6 876 Ft + 5% VAT)
      • Discount is valid until: 30 June 2026

    9 025 Ft

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    Product details:

    • Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
    • Date of Publication 23 July 2026

    • ISBN 9781350455924
    • Binding Paperback
    • No. of pages232 pages
    • Size 214x138x20 mm
    • Weight 240 g
    • Language
    • 700

    Categories

    Short description:

    A philosophically, historically, and anthropologically profound analysis of a major concept at the heart of contemporary culture - exploring how the illusory promise of adventure has become one of the most compelling and powerful narratives in popular culture and contemporary society.

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    Long description:

    The Adventure Illusion dismantles one of contemporary culture's most seductive myths: that life itself should be an epic journey of trials, transformation, and triumph.

    The call to adventure saturates domains ranging from media to marketing, politics to business, and tourism to therapy. Drawing on existentialist philosophy, narrative theory, and cultural critique, this book reveals how the hero's journey has evolved from ancient mythology and medieval romance to a modern ideology that promises meaning and destiny where none inherently exist. Adventure's hidden costs are exposed through rigorous philosophical argument and detailed analyses of video games, corporate advertisements, social media behavior, and more. Across a variety of domains, adventure consistently fosters unattainable expectations, individualizes systemic problems, legitimizes violence through redemptive narratives, and forces marginalized lives into supporting roles.

    Against both rigid life scripts and postmodern chaos, The Adventure Illusion proposes adventurelessness - a liberating acceptance of contingency and plurality beyond the demand for heroic purpose. At once philosophically precise and culturally urgent, this work challenges readers to imagine stories and lives that no longer need quests to matter.

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    Table of Contents:

    List of Figures
    Preface

    Introduction

    1. The Same Old Story
    2. Addicted to Adventures
    3. Adventures do not Exist
    4. Harnessed and Deceived
    5. Minor Characters
    6. The Origin Story of Stories
    7. The Tale of Adventure
    8. A World Without Plot
    9. Storytelling and Identity
    10. In Search of Better Stories

    Conclusion

    Bibliography
    Index

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