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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Interesting, but sometimes things felt a bit bogged down and I could also note places were the author’s biases were reflected in how he analyzed certain aspects of the Batman universe.
If I was more of a Batman fanboy, I'm sure that this would have garnered more stars. As it is, it was interesting, but it had a hard time holding my attention.
If you are a Batman fanatic, give it a try.
If you are a Batman fanatic, give it a try.
Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Dr. Travis Langley is a fascinating read that offers a deep psychological exploration of one of pop culture’s most complex characters. The book delves into Batman’s psyche, analyzing his trauma, motivations, relationships, and the moral dilemmas he faces. Langley skillfully combines academic insights with accessible writing, making it a compelling read for both Batman fans and psychology enthusiasts. Through discussions of fear, resilience, and justice, the book provides a deeper understanding of what drives Bruce Wayne to don the cape and cowl. It’s an insightful journey into the mind of the Dark Knight.
Fun. A little superficial, but probably worth looking at just for the extensive list of references.
I liked this and found it interesting. Its faults are as follows: 1) The author is a bit of a fanboy so outright rejects some theories and readings without examination because they don't jive with his own understanding of and desires around Batman. 2) Because the author is an academic psych guy, he lacks some important background necessary for literary critique. For example, if you're going to read Batman characters as if they're real people, you can't dismiss a theory because "the writers never intended that." Who cares what they intended? It only matters what's on the page. 3) While the author outright dismisses accusations that Batman had a pedophilic relationship with Robin, he admits that people who say Robin suffered "child endangerment" at the hands of Batman have a point, but he never examines that point probably because *see fault #1*.
Marvelous. Not only does Langley offer thoroughly-sourced, in-depth analyses of the characters that populate the streets of Gotham, he has also written a text that can act as a refresher course on general psychology. Since I'm both ridiculously into Batman and constantly intrigued by the human mind, this book lit my brain up in a big way.
The highlight of the book for me was the chapter on Arkham Asylum-- I've long been fascinated with Gotham's favorite institution for the criminally insane (an institution that should have installed a revolving door a long time ago). Langley acknowledges that you've got to suspend your disbelief re: patients continually getting sent back to Arkham only to break out again (or get prematurely released) weeks or months later, but he also delves into the history of the asylum, the doctors and guards that work there, and its treatment of patients and offers some justification for its existence in the Batman 'verse. I also thoroughly enjoyed the case files concluding each chapter, analyses of Batvillains ranging from the Joker (who is frequently mentioned throughout the rest of the book as well, as is only proper for Batman's chief nemesis and the most inscrutably insane of all the villains) to King Tut.
The only part that I found a little slow was the "Batman and Robin - The Psychodynamic Duo," but that's purely personal-- though I enjoy reading about Freud's theories, psychoanalysis in practice has never been my bag.
All in all, this was a wonderful book and wonderfully-written-- Langley's voice is fresh, a little wry, and entirely unpretentious. You can tell he thinks it's freakin' cool that he gets to write a book about this, and he thinks the application of psychological theory to such prominent figures in modern popular fiction has its uses, but he knows he's not going to win a Pulitzer. As a result, his voice is laid-back and relatively informal, but don't let that fool you-- he's done his research. Lots and lots of it.
One last thing-- Langley clearly ships Selina and Bruce well over Talia and Bruce and argues that psychology says they're meant to be. Boom.
The highlight of the book for me was the chapter on Arkham Asylum-- I've long been fascinated with Gotham's favorite institution for the criminally insane (an institution that should have installed a revolving door a long time ago). Langley acknowledges that you've got to suspend your disbelief re: patients continually getting sent back to Arkham only to break out again (or get prematurely released) weeks or months later, but he also delves into the history of the asylum, the doctors and guards that work there, and its treatment of patients and offers some justification for its existence in the Batman 'verse. I also thoroughly enjoyed the case files concluding each chapter, analyses of Batvillains ranging from the Joker (who is frequently mentioned throughout the rest of the book as well, as is only proper for Batman's chief nemesis and the most inscrutably insane of all the villains) to King Tut.
The only part that I found a little slow was the "Batman and Robin - The Psychodynamic Duo," but that's purely personal-- though I enjoy reading about Freud's theories, psychoanalysis in practice has never been my bag.
All in all, this was a wonderful book and wonderfully-written-- Langley's voice is fresh, a little wry, and entirely unpretentious. You can tell he thinks it's freakin' cool that he gets to write a book about this, and he thinks the application of psychological theory to such prominent figures in modern popular fiction has its uses, but he knows he's not going to win a Pulitzer. As a result, his voice is laid-back and relatively informal, but don't let that fool you-- he's done his research. Lots and lots of it.
One last thing-- Langley clearly ships Selina and Bruce well over Talia and Bruce and argues that psychology says they're meant to be. Boom.
dropped some really good lines but there were a lot of times where they stated something about a character and I’d be like that’s just completely not right
Eh, was alright. Had some good tidbits but for the most part it dragged.
I enjoyed the introduction. It was such a good recap on the history of batman in movies and comic but the chapters ideas didn't feel organised and structured
This one's for true Batman fans only. If you are not a fan, I think you are going to miss a lot of the references and not be able to fill in the blanks for some of the characters discussed. I enjoyed portions of the books that described specific theories and how they apply to Batman, his rogues' gallery, and the extended bat family. In particular the section discussing Batman's relationships and the Robins were very interesting. I had never thought about how "birth" order may impact their worldview. Anyway, if you know of a pyschologist or someone who works in the mental health sphere who is also a big Batman fan, this would make a great gift.