Customer Reviews

Puer Aeternus: A Psychological Study of the Adult Struggle With the Paradise of Childhood

5 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I know very little about Jungian psychology, but this book caught my eye years ago. I started reading it again and it has made me aware of so much WHY about my life and struggles. It is frighteningly accurate in its descriptions of the puer aeternus and the best and worst of that archetype. I don't agree with some of the Jungian conclusions and assumptions, but the descriptive parts of this book are INVALUABLE if you're ready to face them. I'm finally facing them.

Considered a "classic" by Jungians, I found this book to be so filled with Jungian imagery that it was not worth the trouble of wading through it all. The majority of the text is an analysis of The Little Prince, and would be of most value to one who wished to interpret this story.

Almost everything of value regarding the psychological image of the puer is available in the first chapter which is reprinted in Reclaiming the Inner Child by Jeremiah Abrams (ed). Here the reader will find an entire section on Eternal Youth and Narcissism including excellent chapters by Joel Covitz (Narcissism), Alice Miller (The Search for the True Self) and Jeffrey Satinover (The Childhood Self and the Origins of Puer Psychology). This last I especially recommend to anyone interested in the puer.

I was informed by my therapist that I have a strong "puer aeternus" archetype and resolved to read around the subject.

I found Miss Von Franz's book to be useful and very entertaining.
It is essentially an extended lecture delivered with great style and clarity with many lengthy but fascinating anecdotes and deviations.

I actually read the Little Prince when studying French and again in Spanish but I didn't "get it" at all. To see the story interpreted by a Jungian analyst is quite enlightening. The Jungian world view is certainly rather strange and I found myself confused at times by some of the concepts and terminology but all in all it is an excellent book.

This book had profound observations and I fell asleep every 1-2 pages.
For me it cured my insomnia. I no longer have a long held desire to read
the Little Prince (or to give a copy to my grandson).