Scan barcode
worstarchitect's review against another edition
I finally understand why all those symbols are so darn phallic.
Really great read. I had almost zero background on Freud going into this, I read Civilization and its Discontents a few months ago but felt like I didn't understand it at all. I feel like this book was exactly what I was looking for in terms of getting a really general overview of Freudian theory, I don't feel like I have a comprehensive grasp on it or anything but I definitely feel like I could read anything related to it and feel like I at least understand what's happening. One thing that I wasn't expecting from this book was how it not only very clearly explicated Freud's thought, but also put it into context with his progenitors as well as contemporaries, I feel like I learned a lot more about Nietzsche and Schopenhauer than I expected. Marxism catches so many strays throughout this book which I thought was funny.
I found the presentation of Freud's theories very balanced and fair. Rieff/Sontag are obviously deeply influenced by Freud but they also don't hesitate to point out some sticking points in his theories and go after particularly weak arguments often. The most hilarious example of this is the part in the sexuality chapter about women, which is just dunking on Freud for 20 pages for being unbelievably, cartoonishly, ridiculously sexist. My man hated women so much it's incredible. The part on dreams and free association was really funny as well. Anything and everything has to be a symbol, absolutely no exceptions. There's a part where Freud makes up an arbitrary number in his head while writing a letter, then goes back to analyze in minute detail why he chose that number specifically, sounding incredibly schizophrenic the whole time. He's like dividing numbers and shit and adding them to each other it's awesome. Also the part where trees in dreams can be interpreted as phallic because they're upright and tall, but also they're women because they bear fruit, but also they're phallic because they're really hard, but also they're women because all materials (wood) are women. So great.
Overall I really appreciated the general argument of the book, which is that Freud is an ethical thinker in the sense that he claimed that only by introducing rationality into the psyche can we balance the demands made on us by our instincts on one side and society on the other, and it's only by being completely honest with ourselves and our pasts that we are able to do so. He doesn't bother with any sort of prospective mode of social organization to ease our neuroses, he really believes it is entirely based on the individual. It's interesting to think about, especially being a Marxist and always looking at things structurally. Freud really challenges you to reflect on the individual over everything else, outlining a rational path to personal liberation and the resolving of neuroses by self-awareness and understanding. Not women though, they can't do that. They are unable.
Really great read. I had almost zero background on Freud going into this, I read Civilization and its Discontents a few months ago but felt like I didn't understand it at all. I feel like this book was exactly what I was looking for in terms of getting a really general overview of Freudian theory, I don't feel like I have a comprehensive grasp on it or anything but I definitely feel like I could read anything related to it and feel like I at least understand what's happening. One thing that I wasn't expecting from this book was how it not only very clearly explicated Freud's thought, but also put it into context with his progenitors as well as contemporaries, I feel like I learned a lot more about Nietzsche and Schopenhauer than I expected. Marxism catches so many strays throughout this book which I thought was funny.
I found the presentation of Freud's theories very balanced and fair. Rieff/Sontag are obviously deeply influenced by Freud but they also don't hesitate to point out some sticking points in his theories and go after particularly weak arguments often. The most hilarious example of this is the part in the sexuality chapter about women, which is just dunking on Freud for 20 pages for being unbelievably, cartoonishly, ridiculously sexist. My man hated women so much it's incredible. The part on dreams and free association was really funny as well. Anything and everything has to be a symbol, absolutely no exceptions. There's a part where Freud makes up an arbitrary number in his head while writing a letter, then goes back to analyze in minute detail why he chose that number specifically, sounding incredibly schizophrenic the whole time. He's like dividing numbers and shit and adding them to each other it's awesome. Also the part where trees in dreams can be interpreted as phallic because they're upright and tall, but also they're women because they bear fruit, but also they're phallic because they're really hard, but also they're women because all materials (wood) are women. So great.
Overall I really appreciated the general argument of the book, which is that Freud is an ethical thinker in the sense that he claimed that only by introducing rationality into the psyche can we balance the demands made on us by our instincts on one side and society on the other, and it's only by being completely honest with ourselves and our pasts that we are able to do so. He doesn't bother with any sort of prospective mode of social organization to ease our neuroses, he really believes it is entirely based on the individual. It's interesting to think about, especially being a Marxist and always looking at things structurally. Freud really challenges you to reflect on the individual over everything else, outlining a rational path to personal liberation and the resolving of neuroses by self-awareness and understanding. Not women though, they can't do that. They are unable.
More...