Carl Jung's Red Book

September brought publishing blockbusters, like Dan Brown’s latest novel and Senator Ted Kennedy’s memoir. On October 7, W.W. Norton will publish a book fans have been anxious to read for decades: a facsimile, with English translation and notes, of Carl Jung’s Red Book. The book’s release coincides with the Rubin Museum’s exhibit featuring the original book, which Jung wrote and illustrated with intricate paintings from 1914-1930.

A prominent psychiatrist whose ideas influenced science and culture, Jung’s work on psychological analysis, archetypes, and the collective unconscious has touched the lives of millions. His theories spawned both a scholarly legacy and a cult following, with fans claiming him as the father of everything from AA to art therapy.

Jung underwent a crisis, which he called a "confrontation with the unconscious" in 1913. Determined to learn from the experience, Jung induced hallucinations and recorded what he discovered. The Red Book is the result of his artistic musings and self-analysis. As the exhibit materials explain, it's considered "the most influential unpublished work in the history of psychology." Until recently, very few people had seen it. His family kept it locked in a Swiss bank, unsure what Jung himself intended for the book and afraid critics would misjudge it.

Sonu Shamdasani, a Jung researcher and editor of the nonprofit Philomen Foundation, dedicated to publishing all of Jung’s work, finally convinced Jung’s heirs to allow The Red Book’s publication after locating manuscript fragments in the U.S. and Switzerland. Stephen Martin, a Jungian who directs the Philomen Foundation, helped reassure the family and raise funds for the meticulous scanning of the manuscript.

In the New York Times Magazine, Sara Corbett weaves the story of Jung and his book, Shamdasani and Martin and their quest, into a tale rich with dreams and mysteries. It's the best article I've read in the magazine all year.