The publication earlier this month of The Red Book, Carl Jung’s
famous, near-mythic journal that has, until now, been seen by
only a few dozen people, is a publishing coup, an incredibly
valuable revelation for Jung’s followers and a hugely important
addition to the history of modern psychology and psychoanalysis.
The book itself is remarkable, big (12″ x 15 ¾”), heavy (8.8
lbs!) and printed on thick, ivory coated stock. It’s an exact
facsimile of the original that Jung worked on for 16 years,
between 1914 and 1930. (The book is also expensive, with a
suggested retail price of $195.) A uniquely created, modern
illuminated manuscript, each of the 205 pages is covered in
exquisite calligraphy, with ornaments and drawings in the
margins and borders and elaborately adorned initials. Full-page,
tempura paintings of dreamscapes, mystical figures and creatures
are interspersed throughout the text, featuring amazing detail
and stylized graphic designs and mandalas in lush colors. The
complete text was scanned one-ten