A vitally important introduction to the theories of one of the most original thinkers in psychology today, A Blue Fire gathers selected passages from many of Hillman's seminal essays on archetypal psychology.
Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2012
I arrived at this book long after reading, "The Soul's Code", which is a book I much admire.
Unfortunately, this book didn't hold up. It's a collection of Hillman's essays, and perhaps the format of short essay doesn't permit for the development ideas as did "The Soul's Code." I found the reading somewhat pompous, difficult to track and in sections downright self-indulgent and obtuse.
I'm sure there are words of wisdom buried in there, but they sure are buried. Consider, for example, this opening sentence: "The blue transit between black and white is like that sadness which emerges from despair as it proceeds toward reflection." What? Never mind that it's grammatically incorrect. And then, further on the blue theme: "It is the blue which deepens the idea of reflection beyond the single notion of mirroring, to the further notions of pondering, considering, meditating." I swear I feel like I should be high to figure that out, and I can't help wondering if he was high when he wrote it.
There's an awful lot of that. Far too much for me. I tell my students that no amount of 'mouth feel' in prose will rescue it from a lack of clarity. I rest my case.
I will return to Viktor Frankl, to Martin Buber.
Overview
A vitally important introduction to the theories of one of the most original thinkers in psychology today, A Blue Fire gathers selected passages from many of Hillman's seminal essays on archetypal psychology.