The Interpretation of Fairy Tales (Paperback)

~ Marie-Louise von Franz (Author), Kendra Crossen (Author) "Fairy tales are the purest and simplest expression of collective unconscious psychic processes..." (more)
Key Phrases: prickly fish, local saga, ego complex, Shaggy Top, Prince Ring, Black Elk (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Of the various types of mythological literature, fairy tales are the simplest and purest expressions of the collective unconscious and thus offer the clearest understanding of the basic patterns of the human psyche. Every people or nation has its own way of experiencing this psychic reality, and so a study of the world's fairy tales yields a wealth of insights into the archetypal experiences of humankind. Perhaps the foremost authority on the psychological interpretation of fairy tales is Marie-Louise von Franz. In this book—originally published as An Introduction to the Interpretation of Fairy Tales —she describes the steps involved in analyzing and illustrates them with a variety of European tales, from "Beauty and the Beast" to "The Robber Bridegroom." Dr. von Franz begins with a history of the study of fairy tales and the various theories of interpretation. By way of illustration she presents a detailed examination of a simple Grimm's tale, "The Three Feathers," followed by a comprehensive discussion of motifs related to Jung's concept of the shadow, the anima, and the animus. This revised edition has been corrected and updated by the author.

About the Author

Marie-Louise von Franz (1915–1998) was the foremost student of C. G. Jung, with whom she worked closely from 1934 until his death in 1961. A founder of the C. G. Jung Institute of Zurich, she published widely on subjects including alchemy, dreams, fairy tales, personality types, and psychotherapy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; Rev Sub edition (July 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877735263
• ISBN-13: 978-0877735267
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,220 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Place to Start!, September 23, 2005

By	David Adams (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I want to second the good review already written and add that the thing about Marie-Louise von Franz is her great readability compared with most of Jung, who can at times be very obtuse. All of von Franz's fairy tale studies are valuable and useful, but for the beginning searcher, this IS a good place to start. Von Franz, "the greatest living heir to C.G. Jung," is down-to-earth in her writing, and her examples of interpretations are always crystal clear and practical. She IS a Jungian, but for her Jung is just a tool that she uses -- she is no slave to a method. She freely admits that any interpretation is just one of many possible ones one might make. Beware! If you like this book and find it useful, you will want to read ALL of her other books.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important guide to symbolic material., May 20, 2006

By	Snowbrocade (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

M.L. von Franz was one of Jung's closest associates and is proclaimed by some to be his intellectual heir. She was a language specialist, in particular ancient languages, and worked with Jung from her early twenties until his death.

Von Franz has the knack of going to the essence of Jungian theory without some of the circumlocution that so many complain of in Jung's collected works. Fairy tales were her forte and she believed by analyzing fairy tales in terms of their collective, not their personal meaning, one would connect with the wisdom of the collective.

This books provides step-by-step instructions for doing fairy tale analysis according to the method of mythological amplification. She also provides examples of her own analysis of fairy tales.

Von Franz believes that all fairy tales are describing one psychic fact--that of the Self. (The Jungian Self includes both the individual self and the collective unconscious). The Self has so much complexity and variation that many different tales are necessary to describe it.

This is an important book that describes some of the basic tenets of Jungian psychology in an easy-to-read form. It is one I return to over and over in my exploration of symbolic material.

42 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction into applying Jungian Psychology, February 18, 2000

By	Noel Eastwood (Australia) - See all my reviews

This book by marie-Luise Von Franz provides valuable insight into the varied uses of a Jungain approach to psychology. Interpreting fairy tales provides us with skills and techniques to help interpret our own fairy tales, that of our dreams and life stories. Useful for all students of Jung and applicable in our own lives if only for the joy of seeking connections and associations in our own experiences. Ideal for dreamers and philosophers as well as beginner Jungians.