Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places

by James Hollis

Arguing that the pursuit of happiness is futile, the Jungian perspective asserts that the goal of life is not in happiness, but in meaning which is real, rather than a fruitless ideal. This book shows... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0919123740
• ISBN13: 9780919123748
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Inner City Books
• Length: 155 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Deeply moving and engaging

Another way to look at the pain and despair that is part of life. It is about the darkest spots that we fall into and the highest peaks we can attain. Read it if you care to take your emotions for one heck of a ride!

Strengthened with literature and poetry

I have read several of this author's books. I found this book to be his most compelling book. Each chapter can be taken separately if you like and I like to wonder back through, re-reading different chapters to get a closer study. More than most psychology writers and even Jungian writers, Mr. Hollis adds beauty to his work with his extensive and well taken quotes from literature. I will never pass my copy on to a friend or to the used book dealer. Worth noting also is that this was one of his earlier books and I believe it introduces much of what he covers in later books.

A life saver!!

This book brought me back from the depths of despair! I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone experiencing extreme guilt, grief, loss, betrayal, doubt, loneliness, depression, despair, obsession, addiction, anger, fear, angst or anxiety. The book goes through every one of these topics in great detail. It explains their causes, symptoms, and ways of overcoming them. It explains the opportunity for growth that is inherent in our struggles, providing inspiration and hope when it is most needed. I will warn that the author uses some vocabulary that non-psychologists won't know. Just keep your dictionary handy. It's well worth the effort.

Great Book

This book is absoultly great. The only drawback of the book, if there is one, is that after reading each page, I would sit and think for about 10 minutes. If you are open to the material, it will absoultly rock your world. Go for it. Take the journey. I'm reading his other books too and the guy is just amazing.

A warm and wise little book on the dark corners of the soul.

This is the latest of a wonderful series of small, warm, wise books by Jungian analyst James Hollis. This one visits the dark places of our soul that are far too often avoided from fear or mere inattention. There is a poetry that runs through Hollis' work that is rare in Jungian literature. Perhaps it's there because he loves poetry himself so much and quotes it extensively and aptly, but his own prose reads like poetry, yet without sacrificing lucidity. I can't imagine anyone not learning something from this and other books by James Hollis.