Shadow: Searching for the Hidden Self (Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious, Vol. 1) [Hardcover]

Philip Dunn (Creator), Manuela Dunn Mascetti (Creator), Robert Bly (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2003

The volumes in this series highlight the artistry of America's collective spirit, as they reveal how archetypal images shape and distinguish us as a people.

With an Introduction by Robert Bly

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"The darkness that lies within" is the diffuse but evocative organizing principle of this collection of stories, poems and art reproductions, the first of four volumes in the Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious series. Some two dozen selections explore many facets of the macabre, violent, and disturbing side of life. Among them, an excerpt from Stephen King's Cujo looks at the undying evil that lurks in children's closets; Shirley Jackson's The Lottery examines the banal murderousness of social convention; and Frederick Douglass plumbs the depths of racial bigotry. The project's overtly Jungian agenda is fleshed out in an introduction by poet and men's movement guru Bly, who speculates that "over the last 400,000 years every act of violence our ancestors witnessed" has been "stored in some remote place"-perhaps a part of the brain called the amygdala, where psychological "traumas" are sequestered and from which they sometimes leak out to cause flashbacks and multiple personality disorders. But despite all the neuro-psychology, the Shadow Archetype remains a contentless notion; pointing out that humans have a hidden dark side is neither a satisfactory explanation of evil nor an adequate unifying concept for the wide range of experience explored in these pieces. As an excuse to gather up a grab bag of disturbing literary gems, though, it will do. Paintings and photos of bleak landscapes and grotesque figures heighten the lugubrious mood; frequent typos mar its slick pages.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Readers of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell will be familiar with the concept of archetypes, symbolic figures that embody key aspects of our contradictory nature, from the hero to the fool. The highly innovative and gorgeously illustrated series, Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious: Reflecting American Culture through Literature and Art, considers American variations on these ancient themes in volumes that combine provocative writings, Native American myths, and extraordinarily well chosen images, both handmade and photographic. Every aspect of life has its shadow, but people are reluctant to talk about it, observes poet Robert Bly in his introduction to The Shadow. We must face our dark side, Bly declares, to understand our past, control our less than altruistic impulses, and realize our dream of a better world. The unexpected selections that follow bear this out. Courageous glimpses into the dark side by Frederick Douglass, Bernard Malamud, Shirley Jackson, Anne Sexton, Stephen King, and Adrienne Rich evince a strange, sorrowful, yet hopeful beauty as they intuitively channel an archetype's infinitely resonant power. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (January 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158542191X
• ISBN-13: 978-1585421916
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,433,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Coffee Table Book, March 28, 2009

By 

Lynn D. Miller "Lynn" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Shadow: Searching for the Hidden Self (Hardcover)

This is a glitzy compendium of items related to the Jungian concept of Shadow. The poems, brief articles, pictures and photos are nice but not terribly informative. There are many other books out that will give you more.