This final volume in The Eros Trilogy is all one might expect from the author who coined the term “Jungian romance.” Sharp and his rogueish side-kick Razr jostle for position, adroitly balancing Logos and Eros, puer and senex. Overall, it is both heady and hearty. A bonus here is the inclusion of a long-lost scholarly essay by the late A. R. Pope of Zurich, “The Eros Aspect of the Eye,” Reviews: Last of The Eros Trilogy (my reviews of Live Your Nonsense and Trampled to Death by Geese appear below), this is the most straight-forward of the three books. It also includes The Eros Aspect of the Eye by Sharp’s analyst and mentor, A. R. Pope. That writing is a matter for separate review. The fact that Sharp ended his highly creative and well-crafted series with the words of his revered teacher is also a matter for discussion at a later date. What is up for discussion in the moment is Sharp’s highly enlightening treatise, which true to form, he presents almost like an afterthought. Personal anecdotes and the trademark scattering of song lyrics, along with humorous accounts of the amorous adventures of Sharp’s inner sidekick Razr, create the canvas upon which Sharp places his insightful synthesis of Jungian teaching. Ideas like contrasexual complexes, participation mystique, persona identification, anima possession, intimacy with distance, and compensation within the psyche become understandable concepts as he recounts his eros-driven adventures and fantasies. His years of immersion in Jungian theory, mining the depths of it for what is useful to him and for his clients, allows him to put Jung’s ideas into his own words with confidence. Distilling the essence of the master’s work, he explains it in ways that make it truly helpful to the rest of us. Don’t mistake the self-effacing tone for ineptitude. Sharp knows exactly what he’s doing. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from his experience. —Anna Jedrziewski for InannaWorks.com Hijacked by Eros is saucy and salty, peppered with nonsense and experiential insights.—B. C. Review of Books, Vancouver. Sharp explores the genre he created (Jungian romance) with courage and panache. Serious fun.—Melbourne Daily Mail. Sharp is the Harold Pinter of the Jungian world. Simultaneously sparse and profound, his books offer a refreshing perspective on Jung’s fundamental ideas. —Washington Tribune. Hijacked by Eros packs a mighty wallop: Unadulterated Jung, song and dance, and sexy ladies. —Indianapolis Broad Rippler. Hijacked by Eros is a remarkable blend of thinking and feeling, Logos and Eros. It is a refreshing and informative read, light-hearted and bold in elucidating the basic tenets of Jungian psychology. —San Francisco Mirror. About the Author: DARYL SHARP, M.A., B.Sc., B.J., is a graduate of the C. G. Jung Institute of Zurich and the author of many other books. He is the publisher of Inner City Books in Toronto, Canada, where he has an analytic practice. |