Authors: Carl Gustav Jung, William McGuire
Rating: Excellent – I would recommend it to almost anyone, especially the interviews from the 1930s onward.
Genre: Psychology, spirituality, historical
Language: Originally in English; I read the Czech translation and found it excellent.
In short:
This is one of those books that changed the way I see the world.
I initially picked it up because Jung analyzed dictators like Hitler and Stalin – I was overwhelmed by emotions regarding their monstrosities and could not understand the deeper forces at play. Jung’s perspective, especially his psychological profile of Hitler, was fascinating.
The first few interviews (from Jung’s younger and middle years) didn’t resonate with me much. But the later ones completely captivated me, and I often return to them. One of the book’s strengths, at least for me, is its readability and clarity – a stark contrast to Jung’s more technical works. That said, the final interviews, written in his older age, did require slower, more thoughtful reading to fully grasp their depth.
This was my first real exposure to Jung’s work, and through it, I gained an initial understanding of key concepts like the unconscious, archetypes, and Jung’s typology of personality. I was especially struck by his insights when comparing European and Asian cultures.
On the flip side, I must also mention that some of Jung’s remarks about gender and indigenous cultures felt problematic from today’s perspective, though he passed away in 1961, and this context is important. I’d recommend reading with awareness rather than judgment.
Where to find the book:
- Czech translation: Rozhovory s C. G. Jungem – Knihy Dobrovský
- English original: Conversations with C. G. Jung: Psychotherapy, Analytical Psychology, and Culture – Amazon.com