The late Dr von Franz devoted much of her life to interpreting fairy tales, bringing clarity and humour to the work. Here she focuses on what they can tell us about the contrasexual complexes - animus and anima - that inform our fantasies and behaviour concerning the opposite sex.

Fairy tales are powerful stuff when taken seriously, which is why they continue to resonate for contemporary readers. Dr. Von Franz devoted much of her life to the difficult task of interpreting them, bringing clarity and earthy good humor to the work. In this latest book, she focuses on the inner contrasexual complexes-animus and anima-that inform all our fantasies, assumptions and behavior concerning the opposite sex, both inner and outer.