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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
Beautiful, heartbreaking account of a son who tries to put his youth and upbringing by an intelligent but discredited scientist and psychologist into perspective. Love and despair go hand in hand in this story.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
A bit of a strange, directionless book and one in which I feel like more of a familiarity with the background would have helped me along. The last 10% of this I really enjoyed, where Reich is finally unpacking the impact of his childhood and his opinions on his father’s work, but the other 90% is filled with aimless stories. An interesting read, but very vague and unsatisfactory.
Of course I read it because of the song and I was not disappointed! What a life and what a story
This is an odd, haunting little book.
Written by the son of controversial scientist/psychologist/mystic Wilhelm Reich, it chronicles the author's attempts to honor and come to terms with his father's legacy. It's written in a unique, dream-like style, with flash-forwards, flashbacks, and dreams all mingling with his memories to form an impression of a brilliant, flawed man, whose ideas were far ahead of their time.
I picked the book up primarily because it was the basis for one of my favorite Kate Bush songs, "Cloudbusting," but found it a worthwhile read in its own right.
Recommended for readers who enjoy books that leave more questions than answers, and who don't mind a book that will challenge them.
Written by the son of controversial scientist/psychologist/mystic Wilhelm Reich, it chronicles the author's attempts to honor and come to terms with his father's legacy. It's written in a unique, dream-like style, with flash-forwards, flashbacks, and dreams all mingling with his memories to form an impression of a brilliant, flawed man, whose ideas were far ahead of their time.
I picked the book up primarily because it was the basis for one of my favorite Kate Bush songs, "Cloudbusting," but found it a worthwhile read in its own right.
Recommended for readers who enjoy books that leave more questions than answers, and who don't mind a book that will challenge them.
Rating: 5/5
“‘Could you tell me,’ he asked, ‘who you are?’” (155)
“‘I’m Wilhelm Reich’s son.’” (168)
This is a curious book. It seems to have made the rounds in influential artistic circles a few decades ago, but never really into the mainstream public. I had trouble tracking a copy down, but after hearing that it was the inspiration for Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting (one of my favorite artists) I knew I had to. The story that unfolds is a strange, but touching homage to fathers and childhoods.
Peter Reich is the only son of Wilhelm Reich, a famously strange pseudo-science philosopher active in the mid-20th century. He is well-known for his theories regarding the Orgone Energy and for starting the health fad surrounding accumulators. The short memoir is a series of memories from Peter’s secluded childhood at Orgonon, a sprawling property in the New England where Peter spent his days roaming the countryside and serving as a soldier in his father’s war against the aliens. While that may sound ridiculous to the average person, that was Peter’s reality. He was given responsibility in this cosmic war by operating the cloudbuster, a machine that could control the weather.
“‘All right, son.’ Nodding at the cloudbuster and looking at the mountains, he gave the gentle order, ‘Now catch the wind.’” (133)
As Peter grew up, joined the army, saw more of the world, he began to understand how singular his experience was at Orgonon. His childhood truths were being destroyed, but he tried his hardest to clutch onto them in order not to go insane.
“And so I scream and scream. I gag or vomit every morning. Sometimes I scream in the car, driving along lost in the roar of turnpike driving, screaming, letting it out, making the windows vibrate.” (168)
While my childhood was vastly different from Peter’s, reading this book reminded me of a lot of the experiences that I probably took for granted as a kid. Remembering who you are and where you came from is crucial, especially during that transition to adulthood. I thank Peter Reich for being extremely vulnerable about his experiences through this memoir, and reminding us what makes fathers special.
“‘Could you tell me,’ he asked, ‘who you are?’” (155)
“‘I’m Wilhelm Reich’s son.’” (168)
This is a curious book. It seems to have made the rounds in influential artistic circles a few decades ago, but never really into the mainstream public. I had trouble tracking a copy down, but after hearing that it was the inspiration for Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting (one of my favorite artists) I knew I had to. The story that unfolds is a strange, but touching homage to fathers and childhoods.
Peter Reich is the only son of Wilhelm Reich, a famously strange pseudo-science philosopher active in the mid-20th century. He is well-known for his theories regarding the Orgone Energy and for starting the health fad surrounding accumulators. The short memoir is a series of memories from Peter’s secluded childhood at Orgonon, a sprawling property in the New England where Peter spent his days roaming the countryside and serving as a soldier in his father’s war against the aliens. While that may sound ridiculous to the average person, that was Peter’s reality. He was given responsibility in this cosmic war by operating the cloudbuster, a machine that could control the weather.
“‘All right, son.’ Nodding at the cloudbuster and looking at the mountains, he gave the gentle order, ‘Now catch the wind.’” (133)
As Peter grew up, joined the army, saw more of the world, he began to understand how singular his experience was at Orgonon. His childhood truths were being destroyed, but he tried his hardest to clutch onto them in order not to go insane.
“And so I scream and scream. I gag or vomit every morning. Sometimes I scream in the car, driving along lost in the roar of turnpike driving, screaming, letting it out, making the windows vibrate.” (168)
While my childhood was vastly different from Peter’s, reading this book reminded me of a lot of the experiences that I probably took for granted as a kid. Remembering who you are and where you came from is crucial, especially during that transition to adulthood. I thank Peter Reich for being extremely vulnerable about his experiences through this memoir, and reminding us what makes fathers special.
I originally learned about this book when looking up the lyrics for the Patti Smith song "Birdland", from her debut album "Horses". In doing so I was surprised to learn that the song was actually based off of a memoir written by a man named Peter Reich about his childhood and experiences with his father, psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich.
I then learned that another musical idol of mine, Kate Bush, has a song (and music video) about this book as well: "Cloudbusting".
If you haven't gathered already from some of these lyrics, this is a very unusual book about a very unusual childhood. Written more like a stream of consciousness than a play-by-play retelling, it weaves a beautiful but tragic story of a man trying to make sense of his childhood trauma.
Before I say more about the book itself I feel it is important to include some background on Wilhelm Reich, as the book can be a bit confusing if you aren't already aware of some of the details of his fascinating life.
Wilhelm Reich studied under Sigmund Freud, who he later parted ways with due to a disagreement in their approaches to sexuality. While Freud viewed sexuality as something to be controlled and repressed, Reich viewed sexuality as something to be practiced freely, even coining the phrase "the sexual revolution".
After fleeing the Nazi regime to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Reich eventually settled down in the United States, where he began on a series of inventions and theories which made his colleagues question his sanity. Here he invented the "Orgone Energy Accumulator", or the "the Accumulator" for short. The Accumulator was a wooden box just big enough for an adult to climb in. Reich believed that the Accumulator had the ability to charge up the human body with life, and could therefore treat cancer and a host of other ailments.
Although the exact science of the Accumulator was disputed (and is now considered pseudoscience), it became a hit among many, who claimed that it gave them a boost in energy as well as sexual vigor. This helped make Reich a celebrated name among bohemians-including some very notable names in the counterculture of the time such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs, who viewed him as a sexual liberator.
Reich also believed that human energy (orgasmic energy, in particular) could help control the weather. He invented a device called a "Cloudbuster", meant to control the weather by directing this energy back into the atmosphere to form and manipulate clouds and rain. Reich believed his Cloudbuster could be used to fight against aliens, who he believed were attempting to destroy the Earth.
Wilhelm soon came under fire from the FDA, who ordered him to cease shipments of his Accumulators as they had not been proven to be effective in any of the diseases which he claimed they could cure. When he refused to do so, he was sent to prison where he soon died due to heart failure.
Peter, who was only 13 at the time of Wilhelm's death, was now left to mourn the tragic loss of his father while at the same time being forced to face the idea that the life he had always known was not in line with reality. A life of chasing UFOs and controlling the weather with his father, all left to question.
And this is where A Book of Dreams comes in, as we see an adult Peter struggling to come to terms with his experiences as a child and the guilt he felt for not being able to somehow save his father from his arrest and early demise. It's a very touching look at an incredibly interesting and bizarre life which proves that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.
In his writing, Peter celebrates the love between a father and son while also exploring the trauma he faced as a result of his father's eccentric beliefs. There is something intimate about being allowed to witness this very private reflection, and for this reason the book is as emotionally compelling as it is absolutely strange. Peter's poetic way of writing makes this experience all the more enjoyable, and I can absolutely see why both Patti Smith and Kate Bush were so moved by this book, and I'd highly recommend it to both fans and non-fans of these wonderful musicians.
“Little boy's face lit up with such naked joy
That the sun burned around his lids and his eyes were like two suns,
White lids, white opals, seeing everything just a little bit too clearly
And he looked around and there was no black ship in sight,
No black funeral cars, nothing except for him, the raven
And fell on his knees and looked up and cried out,
No, daddy, don't leave me here alone,
Take me up, daddy, to the belly of your ship,
Let the ship slide open and I'll go inside of it
Where you're not human, you are not human."
https://youtu.be/OReJIwNVOz4
I then learned that another musical idol of mine, Kate Bush, has a song (and music video) about this book as well: "Cloudbusting".
"I hid my yo-yo
In the garden
I can't hide you
From the government
Oh, god, daddy
I won't forget"
https://youtu.be/pllRW9wETzw
If you haven't gathered already from some of these lyrics, this is a very unusual book about a very unusual childhood. Written more like a stream of consciousness than a play-by-play retelling, it weaves a beautiful but tragic story of a man trying to make sense of his childhood trauma.
Before I say more about the book itself I feel it is important to include some background on Wilhelm Reich, as the book can be a bit confusing if you aren't already aware of some of the details of his fascinating life.
Wilhelm Reich studied under Sigmund Freud, who he later parted ways with due to a disagreement in their approaches to sexuality. While Freud viewed sexuality as something to be controlled and repressed, Reich viewed sexuality as something to be practiced freely, even coining the phrase "the sexual revolution".
After fleeing the Nazi regime to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Reich eventually settled down in the United States, where he began on a series of inventions and theories which made his colleagues question his sanity. Here he invented the "Orgone Energy Accumulator", or the "the Accumulator" for short. The Accumulator was a wooden box just big enough for an adult to climb in. Reich believed that the Accumulator had the ability to charge up the human body with life, and could therefore treat cancer and a host of other ailments.
Although the exact science of the Accumulator was disputed (and is now considered pseudoscience), it became a hit among many, who claimed that it gave them a boost in energy as well as sexual vigor. This helped make Reich a celebrated name among bohemians-including some very notable names in the counterculture of the time such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs, who viewed him as a sexual liberator.
Reich also believed that human energy (orgasmic energy, in particular) could help control the weather. He invented a device called a "Cloudbuster", meant to control the weather by directing this energy back into the atmosphere to form and manipulate clouds and rain. Reich believed his Cloudbuster could be used to fight against aliens, who he believed were attempting to destroy the Earth.
Wilhelm soon came under fire from the FDA, who ordered him to cease shipments of his Accumulators as they had not been proven to be effective in any of the diseases which he claimed they could cure. When he refused to do so, he was sent to prison where he soon died due to heart failure.
Peter, who was only 13 at the time of Wilhelm's death, was now left to mourn the tragic loss of his father while at the same time being forced to face the idea that the life he had always known was not in line with reality. A life of chasing UFOs and controlling the weather with his father, all left to question.
And this is where A Book of Dreams comes in, as we see an adult Peter struggling to come to terms with his experiences as a child and the guilt he felt for not being able to somehow save his father from his arrest and early demise. It's a very touching look at an incredibly interesting and bizarre life which proves that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.
In his writing, Peter celebrates the love between a father and son while also exploring the trauma he faced as a result of his father's eccentric beliefs. There is something intimate about being allowed to witness this very private reflection, and for this reason the book is as emotionally compelling as it is absolutely strange. Peter's poetic way of writing makes this experience all the more enjoyable, and I can absolutely see why both Patti Smith and Kate Bush were so moved by this book, and I'd highly recommend it to both fans and non-fans of these wonderful musicians.