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World Storytelling
Once Upon a Midlife: Classic Stories and Mythic Tales to Illuminate the Middle Years
Looks at twenty tales that offer unexpected approaches to handling the problems of middle age
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 2, 2021
The title! Wow. Not good. The book, though, has an interesting angle on a very old theme. We all are probably more or less aware of the archetypes within fairy tales -in the last decades we've seen re-tellings and re-workings of these old stories, both for children and adults. Is there any psychological/spiritual value to fairy tales? - I know nothing about that field of study, but it seems obvious that Story itself has that value, so, yes, fairy tales must too. Chinen, a Jungian psychiatrist, thought so, found them useful to his practice. As he turned those ideas over in his mind, it occurred to him that most of these tales are of children or young people, and he wondered whether there were tales of married folk, parents, or people of middle and later life, and if so what they would have to say about living through these stages of life. This book is about some of the stories he found.
Middle tales offer maps of the midlife passage, pictures of obstacles, oases, dangers, and delights, recorded by men and women who have survived the journey. Like all maps, middle tales must be interpreted, and I have included psychological commentary on the tales. I have followed several simple rules in analyzing the stories, because fairy tales can be used to support any conclusion if interpreted wildly, just like statistics and horoscopes.
I don't know why anyone should accept his analyses, but they're thought-provoking at the very least.
The chapter titles give a clue to his thread of thought:
The Loss of Magic
Youthful Ideals at Midlife
Hoarding the Magic
Role Reversals
Women's Emancipation at Midlife
Crossing Paths
Death at Midlife
Death and the Inner Journey
Wisdom and Luck
Practical Wisdom
The Challenge of Evil
Insight and Humor
Suffering and Healing Renewal and the Underworld
The Fountain of Life
The magic of mature individuals seems to be one of Alchemy. As Chinen explains, "The transmutation of base elements like lead into noble elements like gold reflects the challenge of the middle years: to transform the dark side of life - jealousy, death, and suffering - into the wisdom and generativity of maturity."
Middle tales offer maps of the midlife passage, pictures of obstacles, oases, dangers, and delights, recorded by men and women who have survived the journey. Like all maps, middle tales must be interpreted, and I have included psychological commentary on the tales. I have followed several simple rules in analyzing the stories, because fairy tales can be used to support any conclusion if interpreted wildly, just like statistics and horoscopes.
I don't know why anyone should accept his analyses, but they're thought-provoking at the very least.
The chapter titles give a clue to his thread of thought:
The Loss of Magic
Youthful Ideals at Midlife
Hoarding the Magic
Role Reversals
Women's Emancipation at Midlife
Crossing Paths
Death at Midlife
Death and the Inner Journey
Wisdom and Luck
Practical Wisdom
The Challenge of Evil
Insight and Humor
Suffering and Healing Renewal and the Underworld
The Fountain of Life
The magic of mature individuals seems to be one of Alchemy. As Chinen explains, "The transmutation of base elements like lead into noble elements like gold reflects the challenge of the middle years: to transform the dark side of life - jealousy, death, and suffering - into the wisdom and generativity of maturity."
August 31, 2007
I loved this book. The stories from around the world demonstrate that every adult in every culture has had to learn how to live with change. These stories were great demonstrations on how even though we individually deal with change in imaginative ways, we as people are more alike than we are different.
March 10, 2015
A friend loaned me this and I loved it. planning to buy my own copy now. Fascinating and insightful! The folktales/mythic tales/fairy tales were interesting in themselves, and then the analysis of each was incredibly illuminating and hit home for me. It took me awhile to read this because I took so many notes!
June 28, 2009
A thoughtful analysis of midlife as seen through various folktales, each of which are discussed in detail by the Jungian analyst Allan Chinen.
August 3, 2012
LOVE this book! This sounds cheesy but it actually changed the way I see my life. Absolutely beautiful insights. I think this should be required reading for everyone over the age of 35!
April 20, 2024
A Psychiatrist's analysis of fairy tales with specific relevance to those in their mid-lives, like myself.
The tales themselves are of interest, naturally, as they span the globe and vastly different cultures. But, as pointed out, they do illuminate a specific era of lives, and threads can drawn from them in relation to that. I think the caveat mentioned in the intro, that people tend to become more unique as they age, is well heeded. Perhaps some of the conclusions drawn from the various stories may not be so universally applicable. Or then again, perhaps I've yet to resolve that lesson in my midlife, I say with only half my tongue in my cheek.
Fairy tales are clearly not only for children, as this volume demonstrates. Take the analysis of each tale as you will, but the thought behind each is learned, and does contain insights into the nature of storytelling, and is a worthwhile read from that perspective.
The tales themselves are of interest, naturally, as they span the globe and vastly different cultures. But, as pointed out, they do illuminate a specific era of lives, and threads can drawn from them in relation to that. I think the caveat mentioned in the intro, that people tend to become more unique as they age, is well heeded. Perhaps some of the conclusions drawn from the various stories may not be so universally applicable. Or then again, perhaps I've yet to resolve that lesson in my midlife, I say with only half my tongue in my cheek.
Fairy tales are clearly not only for children, as this volume demonstrates. Take the analysis of each tale as you will, but the thought behind each is learned, and does contain insights into the nature of storytelling, and is a worthwhile read from that perspective.
March 4, 2019
This book had a positive influence on my mindset when regarding the various stages of life, and it was helpful in better embracing the passage from youth into midlife. Modern culture doesn’t offer this positive view of aging, and I needed this- a self-acceptance of change, a value in the experiences of growth, and a healthy appreciation for wisdom.
August 15, 2024
A great selection of traditional tales and fascinating analysis of the stories. The importance of the number 5 in what Chinen calls "midlife tales" was interesting and something that I have on my list to research further. As a performance storyteller and educator, there is a great deal of goodness that I have taken from this book.
January 3, 2025
Excellent and Enlightening Read ...
... filled with insights for those who are no longer young but not yet old. Dr. Chinen has taken folktales from various cultures and shared the timeless wisdom. These are not the princess and prince living happily ever after, but believable people in middle years.
... filled with insights for those who are no longer young but not yet old. Dr. Chinen has taken folktales from various cultures and shared the timeless wisdom. These are not the princess and prince living happily ever after, but believable people in middle years.
August 6, 2017
Very enjoyable.
November 15, 2019
Focused on Jungian ideas of archetypes, this book explores middle age and its unique challenges.
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October 2, 2025recommendation: [Why Are You Afraid of Living an Interesting Life? YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQQ23...)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews