The Red Book: Liber Novus (Philemon)

Many of the reviews of this volume appear to have been lifted from the full version of Jung's Red Book, which was published a couple of years ago. My own review concerns mainly the Reader's Edition mentioned above. However, I borrowed the earlier publication from my local library, so will make comparisons that are hopefully helpful for people deciding which to buy, or both. The Red Book by Jung, Carl Gustav(Author)Hardcover is a beautifully produced facsimile of writings, drawings and journals that Jung transcribed from his dreams and fantasies at a time described as his "confrontation with the unconscious" in Memories, Dreams, Reflections (Flamingo) . These are all beautifully presented and have the look of a Medieval book transcribed by monks, printed on quality paper. There are also introductions, translations and notes on the text by the editors. Yet, for all the beauty and care putting this book out, it probably always will be a specialist's book. Firstly because of the price- though sales suggest this has been less of a problem for Jung enthusiasts. The other main problem is one of practicality. The volume is slightly larger than A3 size and possibly 2 inches/ 5 centimeters (approx) thick which makes it cumbersome and physically difficult to read, apart from on a large lectern or table. It also makes cross-reading the pages containing translations, and looking at notes and the introduction difficult. After borrowing it, I decided not to buy this edition for that reason , though remained fascinated,. The arrival of this Readers Edition changes matters. It has been designed for those who mainly want to engage with the text, or who want something more portable to be used in conjunction with the larger volume. The text is transcribed to a normal hardback size and cross-referenced to illustrations in the larger volume, and is in a red cover reminiscent of some editions of the Bible. As with the larger volume, the production can be barely faulted. The paper is high quality. There are the introductions by editors and translators from the larger book about how the Red Book was produced, its publication history, as well as Jung's own text. My one disappointment is that there are no colour plates (none at all!) of Jung's illustrations, though there are some copies of pencil drawings. To fully engage with The Red Book probably does require the full illustrations in the larger volume. Yet, that said, the text is fascinating in its own right, and will still give much, because it contains Jung's record of his engagement with various characters who appeared in his imagination. As the introduction suggests, these partly reflect Biblical influences as well as Goethe and Nietzsche. Many of the writings have a poetic and aphoristic flavour with meditations on, for example, the nature of mind, good and evil. They also have a tone reminiscent of William Blake's Prophetic books, or more contemporary poetic texts like Rilke's "Duino Elegies," which was composed at around the same time. This book can be read in the same vein. In the end, what one makes of the content will largely depend upon one's view of Jung. For those who see him as a madman and crank, it may suggest insanity. Those who see him as a visionary will take much of this as as spiritual insight, and may read it as a prophetic work. One of the psychological fascinations of this text, for me, is when Jung deals directly with his material. In this we can see origins of many ideas that were to resurface later in his writings. Interestingly, Jung himself regarded the book as a journal of a psychological experiment with his unconscious. He was also seeing patients and discussing some of the things which came up with his colleagues and friends. This, to me, suggests that this much more than a diary of psychotic material. But as Sony Shamdasani suggests, the one certainty is that in the long-term term the publication of this work will revolutionize scholars' views of Jung, not least because it provides first-hand material of what was happening in his mind. At times the book is a heavy read. It is heady material. But for those sufficiently interested, it will yield much of interest and value. A fascinating book for those with a deep interest in Jung and his work.

My oldest son had this years ago, and then he lost it, and then he begged me to get him another copy for his birthday as he loved it that much. It is expensive but there is great content

If you're looking at this item and questioning the warnings given by other reviewers, do not dismiss them as folly. This is a seriously intense, esoteric and transformational journey. More than anything it presents a risk - any cognitive scheme leaves the mind open to construct potentially dangerous paradigms, and none more so than Carl Gustav Jung's delicate probing of just what it is that makes him who he is as an individual. This is not a scientific book - whilst it may draw roots from clinical psychology, Jung actively avoided jargon and objective theory in what was always designed to be an intuitive, primal and highly idiosyncratic journey into his own consciousness and psyche. Do not buy this book unless you're willing and ready to engage on a challenging journey with Jung as he struggles with madness, doubt, fear, mythology, philosophy, insecurity and various psychonautic voyages into his own being, set to the tone of a palpably Nietzschean construct with some Freudian overtones. Not everyone will be able to appreciate this book - fewer still will be able to enjoy it; but it does present a fascinating opportunity to glimpse at one man's stumbling journey into who and why he is. Jung makes frequent usage of biblical imagery as well as various references to literature, all of which are highlighted by footnotes. The real challenge of the book is less in the writing, which whilst occasionally challenging should be accessible to anyone who's read Nietzsche, Camus or Wittgenstein (which I pick merely as examples of writers whose work I've found more difficult to understand.) In reality, the real difficulty I can see a reader having to overcome is accepting the ideas Jung presents: not only are they highly personal and therefore difficult, if not impossible to objectify (which in some respects is a deliberate design) but they explore a highly mysterious and misunderstood area of study in a hugely enigmatic manner - almost parabolic in many respects. Despite this, anyone willing to devote time and energy into exploring Jung's Liber Novus will most certainly benefit from it hugely, and whilst it is not a book I recommend to the uninitiated, it is most certainly the best book I own as a pre-university student of psychology, philosophy and literature. In practical terms, the book is deceptively large. It measures at 30cm across, 40cm down and 5cm in thickness. It has approximately 373 pages printed in full colour on the finest printing paper I've ever come across. The first half of the book contains the original German Jung wrote in (detailed photo-copies, not transcribed) and all the included illuminations and art Jung himself drew and painted. The second half of the book contains the English translation written in computerized font and so sadly missing the illuminations and artistry of the first half. Included is a dust jacket. Many people say that the cost of the book is inflated, but in truth the presentation is just as much a part of Jung's work as the semantics encapsulated within, and it would therefore be of detriment in my humble opinion to lower the quality of the book, which is fantastic. Equally, holding out for a paperback edition is unlikely to provide the same experience, as any paperback edition will likely be merely the translated text which misses the importance and symbolism of the art. More than anything, this is an educational book. It doesn't seek to provide laws or theories because Jung recognised that to understand the natural, intimate workings of the human soul/psyche his findings must be presented in a natural, intimate manner. It merely presents a journey and a set of personal conclusions that the reader is invited to share in, endorsing or dissenting as he/she sees fit. Truly brilliant.

I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this 'Readers' Edition', but it is exactly what it says it is; an edition to be read. In that respect, I can't fault it. It contains a complete translation of Jung's Red Book, as well as a wealth of additional material from both modern scholars and Jung himself. Yes, the illustrations are missing, but that's the whole point of this edition: The illustrated, facsimile Red Book is a huge tome which is very difficult to read comfortably. This version is a much more managable, reader-friendly version. The illustrations are omitted to ensure the book is a reasonable size. Some reviews have suggested that this is not a translation of Jung's work. This is false; this book includes a complete translation of the original text, but there is a lot of additional material. This is a good thing as it helps to contextualise and give further interpretations of the source text. Some reviewers seem not to understand that there is additional material, which makes me wonder why they have bought a book like this in the first place. One reviewer even posted a photo of a page from the editor's introduction as proof that this isn't Jung's work. I can only assume they didn't even bother to turn the pages beyond the intro because Jung's writings are there in full. Make no mistake - this is a challenging read, but it's well worth the effort. And though it is lacking the illustrations of the (enormous and much more expensive!) facsimile edition, it is still a hugely fascinating and insightful piece of work.

When the Light first entered mankind, about three thousand years ago, the reaction varied quite significantly. Plato and the Buddha, for instance, were deluded by the experience, both regarding the reflection of the mundane world created by the Light as a true reality. On the other hand, Lucifer and Prometheus were punished for what was considered their impiety, as though they were responsible for stealing the Light from some divinity, when in fact the appearance of the Light was simply the next stage in the development of the human being. Only Confucius grasped the true benefit of the Light for mankind, which has been the development of prudence, where the Light is used to illuminate the affairs of mankind in both time and space. But the most significant response to the phenomenon is instanced in the dualism first expressed by Zoroaster or Zarathustra, who perceived the larger effect of the coming of the Light, seeing how it penetrated into the primordial darkness in which mankind until then had lived. Unfortunately, Zoroaster was blinded by the Light to the extent that he could no longer see in the Dark – as his ancestors had done until then. This was not as such a serious failure – the Light itself was a sufficient replacement for mankind’s earlier night-vision. What was serious for the subsequent history of mankind was his reaction to the Dark, his profound terror of what was now an unknown, where the once beneficial agents that had supported mankind through long ages now became threatening demons and devils. It is obvious from the history of mankind since then that the development of the rationality made available to us by the Light has been unable to overcome the profound and instinctive fear of this primordial Darkness, made more apparent to us by the futile attempts of Reason to simply deny the existence of the Dark. And nowhere has this struggle been more apparent than in the modern developments in the practice of psychology. The experiences of Dr Carl Jung as recounted in his Red Book can stand as a kind of textbook example of this phenomenon. A rational and well-read intellectual with already a successful career in the treatment of mentally afflicted men and women, who is suddenly subjected to what would in an earlier age would have been seen as divine/demonic possession. He is a person well-placed to observe his own experiences and attempt a treatment of what he came to see as a classical psychosis. What must be observed at the beginning is that Dr Jung will treat as a psychological phenomenon what once had been treated as either demonic possession or as an esoteric intrusion. There are obvious limitations to this approach, if only because (1) experience in itself is systematically subordinated to theory, witnessed for instance in the creation of realms like the unconscious, and entities such as the id, ego, anima etc, for which there are no objective correlatives, and (2) the whole discourse is carried on at the level of theory only, so that experienced events remain isolated except where they conform to one theory or another. To the extent that we cannot know whence experience comes – true for all experience – we can only make sense of our experiences by relating them directly to one another. This is possible because when closely observed with an open mind it is discovered that our experiences denote themselves to us, determined by our knowledge, interests and dispositions. In the case of Dr Jung’s experiences, only the primary visions, which occurred in December 1913, can be regarded as relating direct experience, though as will be seen later much of the denotation might have been imposed by Dr Jung for other reasons. The narrative elements recorded by Dr Jung can be discounted, to the extent that they are in effect intrusions by him that distort the underlying experience. We should concentrate instead on those elements that do not fit within Dr Jung’s assumptions of what he is experiencing. There are four elements that constitute the core of Dr Jung’s direct spiritual encounter: (1) the old man declares that he and his daughter are one; (2) the old man describes his daughter as wisdom; (3) Dr Jung’s apparent crucifixion enables or permits the daughter to have sight; and (4) the old man then tells Dr Jung that his work is fulfilled here. Thus from an esoteric point of view the rest of the Red Book is nugatory, useful only perhaps within the purview of some theory of psychology. Even so, it is clear that no real personal development is achieved by Dr Jung, for even when he establishes his apparently unified self in the iron rod-tower – which he received in some mysterious way – he cannot acknowledge as significant that the rod is a “message of darkness”. Put simply, Dr Jung could not or would not learn to look and listen – something he castigates himself for on a number of occasions – and allow the Dark to communicate with him. Even so, why did Dr Jung subsequent inner struggles take the form they did? They did not arise out of theoretical considerations, that is clear. This means that some event in Dr Jung’s life at that time must have triggered what became a quite fundamental crisis in his life. Consider the names Dr Jung bestowed on his two visitors from the Dark, Elijah and Salomé. An unexpected combination: what inspired these names? Consider to start with that both are personages from Jewish culture. Did Dr Jung have close associations with Jews at the time who might compel these designations. There are, Sigmund Freud and his pupil-mistress, Lou Salomé. We know of the fraught relations between Jung and Freud; how much more complicated must this threesome have been? Lou Salomé was not alone the mistress of the major power-figure in Jung’s life, but she had been the love-interest of his idol, Friedrich Nietzsche, and had proven to be the femme-fatale of other intellectuals. It must have been a crushing experience for Jung, from which he may never have recovered. This suggests that the Red Book, rather than being a self-revelation, might in fact be a screen designed to hide a damaged self. Finally, what might Dr Jung have done in his visions, other than react profusely? Well, he had performed what can be assumed to have been a spiritually important act for himself: he had permitted Wisdom to see in her own right. Might he not have asked her what she saw? Wouldn’t her answer have been much more significant for us that Dr Jung’s subsequent self-torture? Parsifal, after all, had also failed to asked the crucial question. But, unlike Dr Jung, he had struggle to a maturity that in the end permitted him to learn his truth.

This was a no show from a driver who couldn’t read or follow instructions. Amazon gave me a refund and I’ve since bought the book locally and read it and it’s brilliant. Wow what a read. This is why I felt I should review it even though technically this isn’t the item I bought from Amazon. You will not be disappointed. The guys a genius.

Well this item is not an entirely an item per se so to speak . Although economic content of the product sells well but the content is at challenging levels of cultural value with a systematic review of the names carefully selected to play a significant role in determining your stand in terms of understanding the tectonic plates playing on the mind of discerning subtleties of Sense

Having had the readers edition for quite some time, i was often contemplating making the investment for this copy and i'm very glad that i have. The words alone are an incredible read, full of revelation and Jungs honest and individualised visionary experiences of reality and so it is only fitting that having the images go hand in hand with the written word. Jung certainly was a modern mystic, playing his scientific role by day and delving into the realms of the imagination by night and those inclined to seeking themselves any level of truth would very much benefit from his own explorations and tales of the mythical relationship that has both plagued and relieved man since his very first breath. Having the imagery that portray only a snapshot of his experience really aids in the understanding of his symbolic means of expressing himself and offer an insight into his profound experiences. Here are stunning pieces of art that inspire and provide us with a window into an incredible mind. For those who doubt the affordability of this product, it certainly is worth the investment, of both time and money, if you are willing to commit to a journey of unprecedented encounters and revelations that were the cornerstone to all of Jungs discoveries and consequent works. Enjoy your explorations.

“Reader’s Edition” means that the colour pictures and handwritten text in the original languages are not included; just this translation into English text and some pencil mandalas. To see the pictures, you’ll have to download a pdf or view it online. Regarding the content, it ranges from fascinating to crazy. Carl Jung was a very educated and sensitive man so his fantasies had a definite quality to them. What I found most interesting was his ability to juxtapose thoughts on totally different things and then find meaning in the mix-up.

Beautiful cover. Excellent print.

Cet ouvrage exceptionnel est d'une qualité d'impression rare. Le papier, son épaisseur, son glacé, la finesse des traits, la brillance des couleurs, la typographie des textes, tout rend hommage à l'auteur des planches. Chacune d'elle, grâce à cette qualité, est véritablement 'présente' et peut entrer en résonance avec son spectateur. Il est donc possible d'accéder à certains dessins directement, sans grandes explications. D'autres nécessitent le texte, qui est parfois ardu. Il y a de multiples façons de lire ce cadeau, en fonction du moment, mais chaque planche demande un investissement personnel pour en saisir toute la portée. C'est un magnifique témoignage, à travers l'art, de la psychologie des profondeurs. Le prix du livre est certes élevé, mais pas plus que 2 séances d'analyse et il aurait été très dommage d'avoir compromis l'ouvrage en diminuant les exigences de sa mise en page.

well made and has a very premium feel to it, the print and page quality is really good

Before reading any further, note: This a review of the READER'S edition - and the Reader's Edition DOES NOT include the facsimile images (art and calligraphy) of the original "Red Book: Liber Novus." I suspect many of those who ordered the book unaware of this will be surprised and disappointed. This distinction was not made clear in Amazon pre-publication information. If you wish to see the original book in all its visual glory, pay the price and order the complete folio-sized facsimile edition. So, why then publish, and why purchase, a "Reader's Edition"? Why is the this edition important, even essential? Because the text of "Liber Novus" (as Jung formally titled his "Red Book") is really more important than the art. Jung experienced and recorded his visions and then composed his draft manuscript of Liber Novus before beginning on the art. The art and calligraphy came later, they were composed over the following 16 years or so. The text - compiled principally between 1914 and 1915, with a last section added in 1917 - is Jung's primary record of his extraordinary odyssey across the threshold of consciousness, and into the heart of mythopoetic vision. As he said: "This inner world is truly infinite, in no way poorer than the outer one. Man lives in two worlds." This is the journal of Jung's exploration of the inner world - and it ranks as one of the most important journeys of exploration in the record of human exploration. Dr. Shamdasani, who spent thirteen years editing Liber Novus for publication, has strongly suggested that one should read the text before even looking at the images. I agree. If you are ready to start that reading, there is another reason this "Reader's Edition" is an essential purchase: the big folio edition of "The Red Book: Liber Novus" is huge and physically very difficult to read. Holding it on your lap, or finding a way to prop it up and read it, is a painful task. God have mercy if you wear bifocals! This edition is formatted in a normal book size, and allows a more comfortable reading experience (if reading Liber Novus can ever be a "comfortable" experience). You will not be disappointed with the beauty of this smaller edition; it is bound "bible style" in soft faux leather with rounded corners, and printed using three colors of ink to add the distinctions in headings and text (this replicates the style of the folio edition). And of course, there is a marker ribbon sewn into the binding. I have no idea how such a finely crafted book can be sold at this price. But the text is much more difficult to meet than is the beautiful art. The calligraphy and artwork are immediately stunning, even overwhelming. I know - based on the several seminars about Liber Novus I have taught over the last three years - that most people simply never make it past this visual experience; they do not read Jung's account of what happened to him between 1913 and 1916. What confounds the reader now is the same issue that confronted Jung then: Though imaginative, mythic, apparently fictive, and ultimately subjective, what Jung met in his wanderings spoke with the voice of an objective fact. It was independent, ineffably ancient, and yet intimately and synchronously involved with human history. He perceived it as real, and the story it told had the tenor of a revelation. Without some introduction, some guiding insight into what the man was doing, most readers become quickly disoriented. To guide your first journey through Liber Novus, I highly suggest you start by reading (again) Jung's biographical memoir, " Memories, Dreams, Reflections ." At very least, study again Chapter 6, "Confrontation with the Unconscious." Then closely read Shamdasani's very fine introductory essay that prefaces Jung's text in this Reader's Edition. Next, get Dr. Shamdasani's beautiful new book, " C. G. Jung: A Biography in Books " - you will see my full review of that volume on the Amazon product page. After that, there are several hours of free lectures online from my seminars on Liber Novus. Thousands of people have them found useful, and you can find them easily by searching online for "The Red Book Lectures" or "C.G. Jung and the Red Book." Then, read. Take it slowly, give it deep consideration. It is quite a journey.