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ishade's review
3.0
insane book. i mostly didn't like it but three stars bc the concept and all. it could've been cut down a good 200 or so pages and it would've been about the same. the characters aren't strong enough to support the detail into their day-to-day.
kassler (j.s.p.s. = just some poor schmuck) is definitely poor for most of it and he definitely is a schmuck. however, he is a poor schmuck who gets laid a LOT and by women with huge cans. i'm not sure how much insight we really got into people and relationships from an actual psychotherapist, but it makes sense because this was the eighties and therapy was about philosophical warfare between men in tweed. and the book loved freud, but that tracks. ofc satan loves freud.
there were some bangers, they just got bogged down by the length.
"I cured you, that's what I've done. I may have done nothing else with my life, but I cured Satan."
"You're kidding yourself, Kassler. You did no such thing. I'm no different now from when I started."
"You believe that?"
"So, okay, maybe I'm a little more comfortable with things. It was bound to happen. After a while, we all adjust."
"After a few thousand years."
"It takes some of us longer than others."
"You came to me in pain, damn it. I took away your pain."
"And hurt me doing it. You made me weep, Kassler. You caused me pain. It was very unpleasant."
"You expected it to be painless? You expected to learn anything valuable without suffering?"
kassler (j.s.p.s. = just some poor schmuck) is definitely poor for most of it and he definitely is a schmuck. however, he is a poor schmuck who gets laid a LOT and by women with huge cans. i'm not sure how much insight we really got into people and relationships from an actual psychotherapist, but it makes sense because this was the eighties and therapy was about philosophical warfare between men in tweed. and the book loved freud, but that tracks. ofc satan loves freud.
there were some bangers, they just got bogged down by the length.
"I cured you, that's what I've done. I may have done nothing else with my life, but I cured Satan."
"You're kidding yourself, Kassler. You did no such thing. I'm no different now from when I started."
"You believe that?"
"So, okay, maybe I'm a little more comfortable with things. It was bound to happen. After a while, we all adjust."
"After a few thousand years."
"It takes some of us longer than others."
"You came to me in pain, damn it. I took away your pain."
"And hurt me doing it. You made me weep, Kassler. You caused me pain. It was very unpleasant."
"You expected it to be painless? You expected to learn anything valuable without suffering?"
librarian_of_trantor's review
2.0
Not sure when I read this, but it was probably shortly after the book was published. I remember reading a review and being intrigued with the premise. But I was ultimately disappointed with the book.
However, I really liked the author's description of Dr. Kassler's first therapy session with a patient. (So much so that I actually copied those pages to keep.) Being a clinical psychologist I really identified with Dr. Kassler's difficulty learning how to apply all that theory you learn when you are faced with an actual patient. Dr. Kassler was waiting for his patient to express his longing to return to the good breast or reveal his Jungian archetype. The patient just kept talking about how he was going to lose his family, job, and everything if he doesn't stop drinking. Finally not knowing what else to do Dr. Kassler starts to take a family history, asking the year the patient's great grandparents were born.
However, I really liked the author's description of Dr. Kassler's first therapy session with a patient. (So much so that I actually copied those pages to keep.) Being a clinical psychologist I really identified with Dr. Kassler's difficulty learning how to apply all that theory you learn when you are faced with an actual patient. Dr. Kassler was waiting for his patient to express his longing to return to the good breast or reveal his Jungian archetype. The patient just kept talking about how he was going to lose his family, job, and everything if he doesn't stop drinking. Finally not knowing what else to do Dr. Kassler starts to take a family history, asking the year the patient's great grandparents were born.
gathonik's review
2.0
I wanted to love this book more than I did. That said, it was still pretty funny. Just how you'd imagine a depressed devil. The middle felt a tad too long but when it came together in the end I wasn't too mad at it.
mklinkenborg's review
4.0
Very humorous but at times depressing. I enjoyed it quite a bit...not for younger readers.
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