From Richard

Freud, Jung, and the Forest

Freud, Jung, and the Forest
Richard Writes…

Dear Michelle,
Thank you for answering my question about analysis. To me, Freud’s idea of the unconscious is like a spoiled brat who causes trouble, whereas for Jung it’s the source of wisdom. The forest in COAD is like that, the source of life — but you can’t control it. No need to reply, I just couldn’t help wanting to share this. I’ve always loved the forest in these stories and this realisation helped me see why.
With best wishes,
Richard

Michelle Replies…

I know you said I didn’t need to reply, Richard, but I wanted to, because I love what you say about the Forest in COAD! I also agree in general with your distinction between the way Freud and Jung saw the unconscious.  And to me, Freud’s insistence on delving into an individual’s past has always seemed to place a bit too much emphasis on it, whereas what I’m drawn to in Jung’s writing is his view that we are all continually developing, right through our lives: something with which Fin-Kedinn would probably agree. Thanks for your messages, and for your insight into the Forest.  With best wishes, Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

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Wimbledon Book Festival

October 17, 2025
Festival patron and Sunday Times bestselling author Michelle Paver will talk about her latest supernatural fiction in this live recording with Always Take Notes, a podcast for and about writers and writing.

Michelle will discuss her incredible career, from finding inspiration for Wolf Brother on Wimbledon Common to her latest novel Rainforest, which weaves Mayan culture with themes of obsession, gender and rebirth.

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The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury

October 20, 2025

Join Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Sheperd-Robinson as they discuss their stories in a brand new collection of ghostly tales called The Witching Hour.

In this dazzling collection of original haunted tales, thirteen bestselling and much-loved authors bring the old superstition of the witching hour to new and vivid life.
Transporting you from the smog of London to the freezing mists of Svalbard, from an Irish town riddled with rumour to a sinister English boarding school, these thirteen stories will serve as your spine tingling companion to the long hours of winter.
So curl up, light a candle, and wait for the clock to strike . . .
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Yeovil Literary Festival

October 25, 2025

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Successfully published as an adult author, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (“Wolf Brother”) were her first books for younger readers, followed by her brilliant 5-part series set in the bronze age, Gods and Warriors. On the adult side, her first ghost story, Dark Matter, was a UK bestseller and won massive praise from reviewers and readers alike, as did her second ghost story, Thin Air.

Oxford Literary Festival 2026

March 29, 2026

The Oxford Literary Festival takes place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston Library, and Oxford colleges such as Christ Church and Worcester College. The festival includes international authors, journalists, intellectuals, historians, and poets.