This book feels more like a straightforward summary of analytical psychology rather than a biography of Carl Jung’s life. As someone who was excited to read a biography and learn more about Carl Jung himself (and not his theories and concepts), my curiosity was not satisfied. This book left me with more questions than answers.

Excellent selection of topics and moments about Jung’s life and a very informative book that presents the content in a mostly engaging way.
I would have preferred a different structure, layout and design, and a more-in-depth analysis of all of the wonderfully selected topics, and a slightly more quirky and fresh prose, though, despite my personal tastes and preferences aside, this is a good introduction to Jung’s life and work.

In this biography by Lily Yuan, we follow Carl Jung through his life journey and pioneering work. The book starts with an introduction to Jung's identification of the four stages of life (childhood, youth, middle life, and old age), functioning as a foreword to the structure the book will follow, with the stages used to narrate Jung's life. I liked the author's idea of using Jung's work to set up the book.
Subsequently, the book goes through Jung's:
Childhood, and his relationship with his parents during his formative years;
Youth, and his encounter with other prominent figures in the field of psychology, his early interest in the intersection between psychology, mythology and the supernatural, which laid the groundwork for his later work on analytical psychology as well as his complex relationship with women in his life (from his wife Emma to Sabina Spielrein and Toni Wolff).
Middle life, and his turbulent relationship with Freud, the beginning of the analytical psychology school, the building of the Bollingen tower, and his travels to Africa and North America;
Old age, and his travels to India and Sri Lanka, as well as his collaboration with famous scientists, and his contiguous work despite his health issues.
The book concludes with Jung's legacy and contribution to the field of psychology.

I found the book engaging and easy to read. One thing I would personally like is a more in-depth exploration of Jung's life events. Significant aspects, such as his relationships with Freud and the women in his life, were covered somewhat superficially. Additionally, certain sections felt disjointed, shifting between Jung's personal life and professional work without a clear sequence. Overall, the book provides an overview of Jung's life and achievements, making it a good introduction for those new to his work. It sparked my interest in diving deeper into his legacy.

This book offers an overview of the life and work of pioneering psychoanalyst Carl Jung. From his childhood to his tumultuous relationship with Sigmund Freud and his travels across the globe, this biography explores Jung’s development of groundbreaking concepts like extraversion and introversion, the shadow, and archetypes.

This book is interesting and informative, but the organization is a bit chaotic. The book moves back and forth between Jung’s theories and his biography in a disjointed way, without introductions or transitions, making it feel unfinished. Maybe the final version will be better.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.