Reading Goethe At Midlife

The transition from the first and second stages oflife (childhood and youth) to its third and finalstages (old age and death) is what Jung called the"midlife crisis." This book explores the idea ofmidlife crisis by means of a close reading of Jung'spaper "The Stages of Life." Read in terms oftraditional wisdom-literature, this turning-pointrepresents not just a crisis but also a moment ofdecision, of opportunity, and of hope. Also includedis a detailed analysis of one of the late, great poemsof Goethe, Primal Words. Orphic, where the authoruses Jungian ideas to recover the vital significanceof this fascinating and compelling text.