The Red Book: Liber Novus (Philemon) Hardcover – Illustrated, 9 Oct. 2009

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.

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.

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.

Took quite some time to read this book because in my estimation it’s a slow read and digesting it takes time. Totally worth it though.