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clay1st's reviews
57 reviews
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
3.0
I was surprised at how easy to read this was. I was also impressed at Freud's frequent references to the the foundational work in the field which he analyses in what appears to be a very balanced way.
I think his theory that dreams are a an expression of unconscious desires is less strong than his actual analysis of dreams, which take into account contextual and psychological factors to hypothesise about unmet needs and repressed desires of the individuals he analyses. Freud's emphasis on dreams as the foundation for this work is, in my opinion, a red herring for the real work of psychoanalysis that he is doing. It was a thing of its time, modern psychoanalysis has moved further and further away from dream analysis, but the foundations for modern psychoanalysis can still be seen if you read between the lines in this book.
I think his theory that dreams are a an expression of unconscious desires is less strong than his actual analysis of dreams, which take into account contextual and psychological factors to hypothesise about unmet needs and repressed desires of the individuals he analyses. Freud's emphasis on dreams as the foundation for this work is, in my opinion, a red herring for the real work of psychoanalysis that he is doing. It was a thing of its time, modern psychoanalysis has moved further and further away from dream analysis, but the foundations for modern psychoanalysis can still be seen if you read between the lines in this book.
IQ84 by Haruki Murakami
2.0
I really shouldn't have read this whole book but I did.
My main criticisms are:
- It's way too long, it's so slow and full of filler that adds nothing to the plot and little to character development.
- the characters, to me, feel quite one dimensional, many feel cartoonishly so.
- The central background to the story is that a 30 year old woman and man are both still in love with each other after unexpectedly and momentarily holding hands as 10 year olds then not speaking since is, frankly, cringe.
- I felt in unsafe hands reading this, like it was written in a rush, lazily or carelessly. There seemed too many poorly thought out plot devices and convenient coincidences. There were many boring scenes and some painfully badly written scenes: e.g. Aomame unexpected deciding to kill herself then predictably changing her mind at the last minute. E.g. the entire dialog between Tengo and his demented father.
So far, my least favourite Murakami book.
My main criticisms are:
- It's way too long, it's so slow and full of filler that adds nothing to the plot and little to character development.
- the characters, to me, feel quite one dimensional, many feel cartoonishly so.
- The central background to the story is that a 30 year old woman and man are both still in love with each other after unexpectedly and momentarily holding hands as 10 year olds then not speaking since is, frankly, cringe.
- I felt in unsafe hands reading this, like it was written in a rush, lazily or carelessly. There seemed too many poorly thought out plot devices and convenient coincidences. There were many boring scenes and some painfully badly written scenes: e.g. Aomame unexpected deciding to kill herself then predictably changing her mind at the last minute. E.g. the entire dialog between Tengo and his demented father.
So far, my least favourite Murakami book.
A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister
3.0
If you are looking for an academic sexology book, you will be endlessly annoyed. If you are here for some light hearted fun and some interesting facts* then you'll probably enjoy this book.
I always enjoy etymological discussions and I always enjoy quotes about sex from letters/documents written in "olde" parlance, both of which there are a good selection here.
*I enjoyed the fact that she dispelled some commonly held myths including some I believed (e.g. invention of the vibrator as to be used for "medical" orgasms for treatment of hysteria). However there is are also plenty of questionable assumptions poor science e.g. her figures on the number of nerve endings in the penis and clitoris has no reference and the numbers seem to be taken from a very old study on cows/sheep...
Have a look at some other critical reviews for more discussion on this.
Regardless I enjoyed it and, taken with a pinch of salt, learned a thing or two.
I always enjoy etymological discussions and I always enjoy quotes about sex from letters/documents written in "olde" parlance, both of which there are a good selection here.
*I enjoyed the fact that she dispelled some commonly held myths including some I believed (e.g. invention of the vibrator as to be used for "medical" orgasms for treatment of hysteria). However there is are also plenty of questionable assumptions poor science e.g. her figures on the number of nerve endings in the penis and clitoris has no reference and the numbers seem to be taken from a very old study on cows/sheep...
Have a look at some other critical reviews for more discussion on this.
Regardless I enjoyed it and, taken with a pinch of salt, learned a thing or two.
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings by Philip A. Fisher
3.0
This short book is the reflective musings of a successful institutional investor. Basically he advises quality over quantity in stock picks, using research (fundamental analysis + assessment of the management of the company) then holding these picks long term.
It's a very simple model to understand. Less simple to implement. The book is light on the details of the fundamental analysis stage and assessment of a company's management obviously not possible unless you're a large institutional investor.
The advice is also mostly given on authority, presumably from personal experience, with little reference to research. That said, most of what is said is quite self-evident also.
To the author's credit, at least it is concise.
It's a very simple model to understand. Less simple to implement. The book is light on the details of the fundamental analysis stage and assessment of a company's management obviously not possible unless you're a large institutional investor.
The advice is also mostly given on authority, presumably from personal experience, with little reference to research. That said, most of what is said is quite self-evident also.
To the author's credit, at least it is concise.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
5.0
**spoiler alert**
Camus' depiction of society's obsession with emotional narratives feels very relevant today, perhaps as much as it ever has been. Poor Meursault and his lack of emotional expressivity bears the brunt of this social bias. Is every man who doesn't shed a tear over the death of his mother a monster? I don't doubt some would say yes.
Don't be fooled into thinking this is a sob story for emotionally repressed men or those with what psychiatry would describe as 'callous-unemotional traits'.
On the contrary, if we take a small step back, the reader should realize they have been taken in by our own emotional narrative, from within Meursault's own mind. A narrative that Mersault's lawyer struggles to reproduce in the courtroom but we reader, trapped behind soundproof glass panes, bang our fists and shout urging the jury to see our perspective - but they hear nothing.
Which perspective is real, which is more true, are we biased by our attachment to amiable Meursault? What kind of emotional state best mitigates a crime anyway? Meursault is living a kind of somnambulist existence in which he, when pressed, will admit himself that he doesn't know why he does things. Do any of us really know why we do things? Meursault's total honesty about his state of mind comes across as deeply touching and innocent but is it really a mitigation for his actions? The more I think about it the more I wonder if Meursault really is a dangerous man.
I'm left with very confused feelings for Meursault, on the one hand his thoughts are so amiable and at times empathetic, profound and reflective, but on the other hand - why does he hang out with Raymond, a man who appears deeply despicable; why does he write that letter for him? Why does he unload the last 4 shots? It doesn't add up - this is a thoughtful man who lives a life that doesn't seem to suit those thoughts.... and yet it also seems quite plausible. It's been a while since a book really got me thinking this much.
Camus' depiction of society's obsession with emotional narratives feels very relevant today, perhaps as much as it ever has been. Poor Meursault and his lack of emotional expressivity bears the brunt of this social bias. Is every man who doesn't shed a tear over the death of his mother a monster? I don't doubt some would say yes.
Don't be fooled into thinking this is a sob story for emotionally repressed men or those with what psychiatry would describe as 'callous-unemotional traits'.
On the contrary, if we take a small step back, the reader should realize they have been taken in by our own emotional narrative, from within Meursault's own mind. A narrative that Mersault's lawyer struggles to reproduce in the courtroom but we reader, trapped behind soundproof glass panes, bang our fists and shout urging the jury to see our perspective - but they hear nothing.
Which perspective is real, which is more true, are we biased by our attachment to amiable Meursault? What kind of emotional state best mitigates a crime anyway? Meursault is living a kind of somnambulist existence in which he, when pressed, will admit himself that he doesn't know why he does things. Do any of us really know why we do things? Meursault's total honesty about his state of mind comes across as deeply touching and innocent but is it really a mitigation for his actions? The more I think about it the more I wonder if Meursault really is a dangerous man.
I'm left with very confused feelings for Meursault, on the one hand his thoughts are so amiable and at times empathetic, profound and reflective, but on the other hand - why does he hang out with Raymond, a man who appears deeply despicable; why does he write that letter for him? Why does he unload the last 4 shots? It doesn't add up - this is a thoughtful man who lives a life that doesn't seem to suit those thoughts.... and yet it also seems quite plausible. It's been a while since a book really got me thinking this much.
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
4.0
It was a little over 6 months since I read Wolf Hall and I struggled to reconnect with the first several chapters. Once I got back into it I enjoyed this one almost as much as the first. It lacked the vivid character building of the first book and some of the rough n ready 'Cromwellisms' began to feel a little tired by the end. Instead Hilary capitalises on our emotional connection with the existing characters to entertain with drama and intrigue which I enjoyed along with the conclusion.
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