The Problem Of The Puer Aeternus

I'm about halfway through this book. The format is a transcript of a three or four part seminar she led. There are question and answer sections that get a little off topic. Some are poignant. But the real meat and potatoes are her use of writers as metaphors to the universal problem of puer aeternus. Even months after reading I can still remember themes she presents. It's an insightful read to anyone dealing with this condition.

This book is not for the faint of heart. If you read it you will have a shock to the system. My god the myth of eternal youth is everywhere now, Bart simpson, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Adam Sandler, those are just 3 random ones I can think of the list can go on a long way. Adult children..

Exactly as described..

This is a beautiful, liberating book for those contending with the puer aeternus problem. Initially it is discouraging, but if uyou press on it pays off.

Very happy, thank you.

M-L von Franz is a brilliant and accessible writer, and this is her most enjoyable book for me. I have read it through several times, and with each reading, I find greater depth. I cannot say enough good things about it. I do, however, agree in part with the reviewer who addresses the weakness of Jungian theories of homosexuality. I do not agree this is homophobia--I think that word is way over-used and often used as a sledgehammer against people with opposing views, but I would not necessarily argue that there are no grounds for using it here. The Jungians, beginning with Carl Jung, do seem to address homosexuality in the most superficial and insubstantial ways. This is clearly an area that requires far more effort than Jung or von Franz have put into it, but I do think this is a lack of effort rather than a phobia. But that is a personal opinion. Overall--and that weakness aside--this is an engaging and fascinating book.

If you are a teacher or an educator that works with youth, this is highly recommended. The question of growing up and not loosing the connection to your wholeness is beautifully illustrated. It also brings interesting spiritual meanings to the book of the little prince. Of course the book is dealing with a certain psychological type, but has a great perspective on the human experience.

This book is truly lifesaving. A son can not help having had a devouring mother but he can help what he does with his life and this book will give the insight to shatter the illusions and spells his mother cast and reclaim his masculinity and maturity. I think it took a woman to see it so clearly and to spell out.

The book is assembled from a series of 12 lectures given by MLVF and must count as one of her finest works. It's evident that she's passionately interested in the subject and the book bubbles over with her enthusiasm for it.She uses two works of fiction as the springboard for her ideas. The first is The Little Prince by Saint-Exupery, which many people will be familiar with but the real eye opener is a German novel that's never been translated into English, called The Kingdom Without Space by Bruno Goetz. This is a fantasy work of almost hallucinatory imagery with writing of such intensity that it clearly brought out the best in her.Her insights into boys who never grow up are even more relevant today than when she delivered her talks 50 years ago. Our culture has become more youth orientated and narcississtic and displays of immature behaviours, particularly among celebrities, are now pretty commonplace news. When you've finished reading this book, you'll have little trouble in spotting examples of Puer behaviour everywhere. Annoyingly some of them may be when you look in the mirror!Another reviewer has remarked that the book could devote more space to women (the Puella Aeturna), which is a fair point and is a general weakness in many pre-1980 Jungian works that men and their animas get more coverage than women and their animus'. Fortunately the last 25 years has seen many fine women writers redressing the balance and if you particularly want the female take on this subject there are plenty of other books to read.

She speaks too confidently for my liking - Godlike pronouncements as if they were proven facts, about dead authors she never met.It was too much like reading tea leaves, with several unquestioned dubious value judgments presented as reality

This book was a complete eye-opener, one of the essential readings for self-awareness.It is a comprehensive description of the puer and great introduction to this phenomena.

She's such an ideologues. Still interesting.Lots to consider.

Excellent