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A review by amy_park
Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom
reflective
medium-paced
1.5
This book had so much potential, but the author/psychotherapist's judgemental opinion on patients and society is terrible!
I was intrigued by this book a few years ago as it was referenced in 'Happy' by Derren Brown and with a psychology background I picked it up.
At the start the judgemental opinions were subtle and the book focuses on psychiatry approaches, and was clinical in it's approach which I enjoyed. But once it hit chaper 3 "Fat Lady" the authors judgemental philosophy and discrimination was so apparent it made me unbelievably uncomfortable. I hated the way he was so very judgemental towards patient's lives, and how he was only interested in treating a patient if it benefited him, I.e how he was repulsed by fat women but wanted to "challenge" himself, how he didn't find a patient attractive so he had little empathy, relating to male patient's wanting to "conquer" women. The judgemental observations and nasty remarks were utterly relentless. I found he had little empathy in his writing, his opinions were too much and I overall found it farcical on how he can treat people but yet be so negative towards humanity. Very misogynistic opinions, alot of emphasis on whther he found the women patients attractive, it just wasn't appropriate. If interested in reading, I would avoid!
I was intrigued by this book a few years ago as it was referenced in 'Happy' by Derren Brown and with a psychology background I picked it up.
At the start the judgemental opinions were subtle and the book focuses on psychiatry approaches, and was clinical in it's approach which I enjoyed. But once it hit chaper 3 "Fat Lady" the authors judgemental philosophy and discrimination was so apparent it made me unbelievably uncomfortable. I hated the way he was so very judgemental towards patient's lives, and how he was only interested in treating a patient if it benefited him, I.e how he was repulsed by fat women but wanted to "challenge" himself, how he didn't find a patient attractive so he had little empathy, relating to male patient's wanting to "conquer" women. The judgemental observations and nasty remarks were utterly relentless. I found he had little empathy in his writing, his opinions were too much and I overall found it farcical on how he can treat people but yet be so negative towards humanity. Very misogynistic opinions, alot of emphasis on whther he found the women patients attractive, it just wasn't appropriate. If interested in reading, I would avoid!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia