A Little Book on the Human Shadow review
Robert Bly's long bag we drag behind us, and the fastest route to understanding what the shadow actually is.
Robert Bly's short poetic essay on the shadow, organised around the image of the long bag we drag behind us.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Bly, poet |
| Publisher | HarperOne |
| Subject | The Jungian shadow, treated poetically |
| Length | Very short, under 100 pages |
| Format | Essay and talks, no exercises |
Specifications above come from the publisher's listing. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- The long bag metaphor is the single most useful image in popular shadow writing. It explains disowning, carrying and eventual return in one picture that people never forget.
- It is short enough to read in an evening and dense enough to reread annually.
- Bly is a poet, and the writing is far better than the field's average, which matters when the ideas are this slippery.
- It takes the shadow seriously as something we do to ourselves over a lifetime rather than as a discrete problem to solve.
- It costs very little and does more work than several longer books on this list.
Where it falls short
- There are no exercises. If you want a practice rather than an understanding, this gives you nothing to do and you will need a workbook alongside it.
- The register is poetic and associative, which readers who want argument and structure will find frustrating.
- It is a set of talks and essays rather than a systematic treatment, so it circles rather than builds.
- Bly writes largely about men and masculine socialisation, which is where his wider work sits, and readers should know that going in.
- Like everything on this site, it is reflection rather than treatment, and anyone working with trauma needs a licensed mental health professional.
What owners report
Reader reports are consistently positive and consistently short, which suits the book. The long bag image is quoted in almost every one of them, which is the clearest possible evidence that a single metaphor can carry a book.
The recurring note is that people who read it after several longer popular titles wish they had read it first. That is worth acting on: it costs little and it makes everything else in this field easier to evaluate.
Who it suits
- Anyone who wants to understand the shadow properly and quickly.
- Readers who like poetic writing.
- People who have read popular shadow work books and want something with more substance behind it.
Who should skip it
- Readers who want exercises and a sequence.
- Anyone impatient with associative, non-linear writing.
- People looking for a clinical or evidence-based treatment of trauma.
Alternatives worth considering
Bly gives you the understanding and no practice; a therapist-written workbook gives you the practice and less understanding. Together they cost under thirty dollars and cover the ground properly.
Check price on AmazonJohnson's equally short Jungian treatment of the shadow, more systematic than Bly and less poetic. The two are the standard pair of short books in this field and they complement each other well.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
What is the long bag we drag behind us?
Bly's image for the shadow: as children we are told which parts of us are unacceptable, and we put each one in an invisible bag we then drag through life. Nothing is thrown away, only carried, and shadow work is the slow business of opening the bag. It is the most durable metaphor in the whole field.
Is this a good first book on the shadow?
It is arguably the best one, because it is short, well written and gets the idea across properly. Pair it with a workbook if you want something to do, and read it before the longer popular titles rather than after, because it will make you a better judge of them.
Does it have exercises?
No. It is an essay, or more precisely a set of talks and essays, and there is nothing to fill in. That is a limitation if you want a practice and a strength if you want to understand what the practice is for.
Is Robert Bly's work only about men?
His wider work, including Iron John, is centred on masculine psychology, and this book leans that way in its examples. The shadow idea itself is not gendered, and readers of any gender get the value from the long bag metaphor. It is worth knowing where the examples come from.
What should I read after this?
A workbook if you want practice, Robert A. Johnson's Owning Your Own Shadow if you want another short Jungian treatment, and Jung himself if you want the source. Our comparison of Owning Your Own Shadow against Man and His Symbols covers that step, and our complete guide to shadow work covers the practice.
Keep reading
- Carl Jung's shadow explained
- Owning Your Own Shadow vs Man and His Symbols
- Complete guide to shadow work
- The Shadow Work Workbook review
- Aion review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.