Reviews

Melagis ant kušetės by Irvin D. Yalom

steesza's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

bartendm's review against another edition

4.0

I listened to this audiobook because I was curious about what people went to therapy for and what went on during therapy. The author is a psychotherapist, so I assume the scenarios are realistic. The characters, aside from Carol, have interesting layers of complexity, and are not all good or all bad. Carol felt more like a caricature of an angry, abused woman. The book uses the characters and plot to delve into ethical and stylistic issues of therapy and does so in an interesting manner. It also is an enjoyable read with some twists and turns, but I have definitely come out with an appreciation of what this field is about.

anastasiaboo's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

josi_sp's review against another edition

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emily_mai's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The characters are overly simple in the beginning, they come across like diagnoses and the writing makes it pretty obvious how the author sees each of them. By the end of the book they’re far more nuanced, and maybe that’s on purpose, to give the reader the experience of a therapist getting to know a charecter. But I would have liked to see them as nuanced when they weren’t happy or “integrated” AND on the other end. The middle was hard to get through, lots of shit about finances and greed and men that just annoyed me. And the ending didn’t blow me a way. I liked that it taught me some valuable information about therapy, and I liked knowing that I could trust that information based on the author’s credentials. There were a few moments that were really sweet or poignant towards the 3/4 mark. But like I said, ending could’ve been better.

sokoo's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tiannaj's review against another edition

I read this for a class I had in counseling psychology, and it was such an entertaining read it didn't even feel like an assignment. I feel like I shouldn't say anything else for fear of giving too much away. Great read!

harvio's review against another edition

4.0

- Yalom (a Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University) has written a sensitive, intricate, sometimes humorous tale of a couple of psychoanalysts and their respective clients
- engaging, plausible, and entertaining

cdhotwing's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.5

mfrabbiele's review against another edition

4.0

Great read; definitely keeps you guessing. Constant battle between personal thoughts, values and morals and then ethics. Could have lived with the explicit sexual content but ultimately it just adds to the book.