Piecing a Life Together: The Making of Memories, Dreams, Reflections

The question of who exactly wrote Memories, Dreams, Reflections (MDR) has lingered since the book's publication in 1961, the year of Jung's death. There is no person better qualified to answer this question than Aniela Jaff & eacute; who worked with Jung in the final five years of his life. Jaff & eacute; and Fischli's book Reflections on the Life and Dreams of C. G. Jung (hereafter Reflections) is divided into two sections, each provoking different reactions, ranging from warmth to frustration. Jaff & eacute;'s revelations offer a nuanced, intimate, and surprising view of Jung as a colleague, friend, and neighbor, who, despite his advanced age, remained a sharp businessman. We also hear his final thoughts and words in the days shortly before his death. Indeed, Jaff & eacute; fulfilled her promise to Jung to bring MDR into the light of day. In Reflections we get the inside story of MDR's making, one that is filled with intrigue and conflict. Not only is the question of authorship discussed at length, but also we are able to witness the symbolic collision between logos and eros over the arduous course of making MDR. Publishers pushed for a sensational bestseller with Jung's life presented in a clear, linear path. They wanted a book spoken in Jung's own "pure" voice, something that ignores Jung's penchant for circumambulation and personal dialogue. Without Jaff & eacute;'s persistence, patience, and courage the MDR of today could never have come to be. We learn how she cajoled a resistant Jung into writing the book and won his confidence. (She knew how to make him laugh!) At bottom, MDR is a collective project that not only took shape at the hands of many parties, but also involved the archetypal trickster whose play in the hermeneutics of writing this fascinating book comes into full view.