Close to the Bone: Life-Threatening Illness as a Soul Journey

.This is not a new book, but it was recently recommended to me by a social worker who thought I would enjoy it. I am a hospice chaplain and am always searching for good material on end-of-life issues. This work does not focus on death and dying per se, but rather the dynamics of caring for someone with a life-threatening illness. Nevertheless, the book's themes are applicable to a range of issues having to do with illness and death, for those who are afflicted and those who care for them.Shinoda Bolen--a Jungian analyst who lost a son--approaches her subject matter with deeply personal and almost magical worldview. Building upon a foundation of Jungian themes and Greco-Roman mythological imagery, she contextualizes her narrative within an historical framework that places serious illness within the broad human experience. The result of this story-telling technique is that emotionally difficult material is presented as a shared experience across time and space, and in the process it presents us with some archetypal ideas on the meaning and purpose not only of life, but also of pain and suffering.This book offers the reader a new perspective on serious and/or terminal illness. Shinoda Bolen's prose evokes the notion that "a little sugar helps the medicine go down." What she writes about is difficult stuff, but her writing is so warm and clear that just reading her words and phrases can be a balm.'Close to the Bone' offers information and wisdom, yes. But it offers something more--encouragement and help to accept that illness and death are part of the human condition, and that the way we approach them can mean the difference between suffering and maturing, between resentment and hope, and between anger and peace. 'Close to the Bone' is a gift to us all.

As someone who has been reading self-help, self-improvement, and health books for over 50 years, it has become increasingly difficult to find a book that isn't just a rehash of stuff that has been written about in dozens of other books from years past. So, it is delightfully refreshing to find a book like this that actually has NEW and USEFUL information in it. You won't find this stuff in lots of other books.

I needed to read this to better relate on pending death of loved one. It is full of wonderful insights and research to support guidance.

If you are a person who doesn't necessarily "go within" to examine the meaning of life or suffering, you won't find this book helpful. If on the other hand, you seek to find meaning or life lessons in your illness, I would recommend this book highly. Jean Shinoda Bolen shows us that sickness and death unite all of us, but the way we approach each can be a healing journey. Her use of the mythology of other cultures turns ancient belief into contemporary teachable moments. Although this is not a light summer read, I believe it belongs on the bookshelf of every household. We are all going to need to refer to it one day.

i could relate to so many things in this book, particularly having the femaleperspective on disease....dr. bolen has done a great job researchingarchetypes and combining them with her own and others experiencesin the disease model...if you feel lonely and unique with your disease,i believe this book can help you feel a part of one of life's mostintriguing manifestations that is shared by so many of us at differentlevels...

I've always liked Bolen's writings because she sees illness from the patient's point of view. Her suggestion that how we approach our body's frailties during illness can change the way make it through the disease, as well as change the way we live afterward is a compelling one. She concludes we cannot treat just the body, but must attend to the whole person.

The PERFECT antidote to the saccharine "pink ribbon" version of cancer treatment. Being diagnosed and treated for a life-threatening illness is a descent of the soul into a dark mythic world. That is the journey this book explores. From one who made the descent and returned to tell the tale, I highly recommend this book for patients who want to be honest with themselves about their predicament and what it means for everything in their lives. Having looked death in the eye, I am changed forever.

Very easy to read! Books like this one are really important for all of us. Not only in hard times of our life but always.

Perfectly satisfied. Wish I could find this book translated into French in order to provide for many others.