Customer Reviews

The Individuated Hobbit: Jung, Tolkien and the Archetypes of Middle-Earth

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I read this book a long time ago - in the early 80s - but still remember and recommend it to anyone interested in personality theorists, such as C.G. Jung. Rather than critique its strengths , weaknessed, accuracies, and inaccuracies, I'll describe its impact on me. Prior to it reading, I'd spent a hour or 2 reading about Jung by way of a undergraduate Psych Class. The summer after I read it, I worked my way independantly through the index to and about a third of the text of Jung's collected works, and all of the popular Jung ("Man & his Symbols", etc) I could find. It drew from love of Middle Earth, introducing me to a larger, equally numinous world.

Study of the correlation between Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology for Middle-earth. The author was Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy

Though I wish this would have been longer,you can't help but attempt to read this book cover to cover in one sitting.
O'Neill manages to blend the stories and the landscape of middle earth almost effortlessly with the psychological understandings of Carl Jung.
The result is a richly rewarding read that any one with an interest in furthering their Lord of the Rings knowledge should dive into.
Even if your understanding of Jung isn't that in depth, O'Neill goes out of his way to give a brief summary of some of the fundamentals in an attempt to make a few terms and ideas smoother for the beginning reader.

At the same token,though this book does make a very convincing case for Jung's ideas in the lord of the rings mythology,no where does O'Neill claim this was the intention of Tolkien when he began writing out the chronicles of middle earth.
This book simply shows how easy they both blend together.

If you are a fan of lord of the rings and want to further your knowledge and wish to place a meaning behind the works of Tolkien,this book will only add weight and depth to your enthusiasm for your love of middle earth.
If you are a follower of Jung's psychology than this book will give an amazing example of how to place Jungian idea's within the context of myth in a simular fashion to the amazing works of Joseph Campbell.

If you are familiar with both,well than a book like this is the best of both worlds.

I am currently reading this, borrowed from the library, and looking to buy a copy for myself (that's why I'm at this site).

This is a remarkably intelligent book, yet written in a light and friendly way. Can't urge you enough to read it, but if you don't you're missing out!

A full review to follow soon . . .