Jung’s Red Book is jokingly referred to as the unread Book because its calligraphic text is in German and the English translation is dense and basically codified. The vast majority who have bought the book haven’t read it but enjoy looking at the fascinating images Jung painted. When Jung’s mysterious manuscript was eventually published in 2009, it caused a stir, especially in the Jungian community. The original 5,000 printed copies of The Red Book were priced at $200 each and sold out in a matter of days. It is without a doubt a stunningly beautiful book that represents a carefully reconstructed and annotated facsimile of Jung’s original red leather-bound folio, which he originally titled Liber Novus.
This Friday evening lecture will approach The Red Book by situating it within the context of Jung’s body of work—exploring the circumstances, history, and significance of its authorship. Because a two-hour lecture cannot thoroughly explore an opus of this magnitude, we will focus on editor Sonu Shamdasani’s introduction to the book, which suggests how to engage Jung’s monumental text. We will discuss how The Red Book relates to Jung’s falling out with Sigmund Freud, its significance to Jung’s subsequent writings and theories, and the historical controversy over publishing the manuscript. The lec- ture will also explore the manuscript’s paintings and consider Jung’s famous inner argument over whether the creative work he was doing was art or not