As it started out, this book was so interesting, however, it got more and more incomprehensible as it went on. Although a good introduction to a Jungian perspective of the fairy tale, it was full of concepts and language that were not for the begining jungian. I admit, i gave up a mere thirty pages before the end because all stories are the story of the self transforming, so going through different tales to review the role of the anima just got to be too much. ( )

Marie-Louise von Franz was a Jungian scholar, and this book seems like it was written for her peers who had the same in-depth knowledge of Jung's writings. It's fascinating material, and worth the read if your wiling to spend a significant amount of time on Wikipedia reading about things like Anima and Shadow. Probably a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

This book is the indirect inspiration for a number of films. Among the best examples are Star Wars and the Lion King. The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by Joseph Campbell that is seen in important stories in many different cultures. It's based on Jungian interpretation of story as is seen in this book. It's the prototypical plot. The Lion King, Star Wars, and countless other movies incorporated the elements of the Hero's Journey into their plots, and the most famous script-writing book ever, "[b:Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need|49464|Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need|Blake Snyder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388183642s/49464.jpg|48383]" operationalized it. "Save the Cat" is such a good book that it's been blamed for the homogenization of American cinema. Thanks a lot von Franz. ( )

Marie-Louise von Franz is considered by many to be the heir of C.G. Jung. She's written a number of books on dreams, synchronicity, myths, alchemy and here, the interpretation of fairy tales. Although it took me perhaps 50 pages to get used to her writing style, which is a bit bombastic at times, her analysis is thorough and thought-provoking. Her insights are backed up by a lifetime of scholarship and research. I found my own understanding of folk and fairy tale symbols, themes and motifs significantly enlarged and deepened. I won't read the old tales the same way again. My only criticism is that her brief discussion of the 'animus' seemed like a foot-note to the book-long examination of the 'anima' and the 'shadow.' This weights the work in favor of the male psyche and I would have liked more examples and more discussion of the female psyche. Having said that, her analysis of The Three Feathers, Prince Ring and several other tales are terrific. Recommended. ( )

Von Franz was apparently Jung's chief disciple, and her work on fairy tales and folklore was central to her continuation of his work. This volume is, mostly, more centered on the act of interpreting than on the big Jungian worldview, and thus is interesting even if you don't entirely buy into Jungianism. It discusses the importance of tale-telling and fairy tales and demonstrates Jungian folklore analysis by dissecting individual tales in depth.

I enjoyed the way von Franz uses multiple versions of a story to triangulate a strong interpretation. The stories she uses are often evocative and little known. Many of the symbols she discusses, and the diagramming of fairy tales by number and gender of characters are very useful and fruitful. The last sections of the book were less intriguing, especially the section where she talks about the female fairy tale heroine, which dripped gender essentialism and was more full than usual of Jungian metaphysical certainties. Most of the book, however, was thought-provoking and even inspiring. Recommended for fabulists and other fairy tale enthusiasts. ( )