Book Review: On The Couch edited by Andrew Blauner

On the couch is a collection of 25 short essays that explore many aspects of Sigmund Freud, stretching, twisting and distorting the neurologist’s work to see if it still applies to today.

In one way or another, you’ve probably come across Sigmund Freud before—and you may not even know it. Whether it’s through a Freudian slip of your subconscious desires, a shiver that runs down your spine while watching a movie (without knowing why), or that one friend who keeps telling you that you want to sleep with your mother.

Freud was an Austrian neurologist and considered the founder of psychoanalysis. Born in 1856, Freud is now a cultural benchmark for society. But that image has been constructed from (often false) passing references and a hatred of his casual misogyny. Still, prolific editor Andrew Blauner (editor of eight previous anthologies) hopes that this book will give readers “a sense of Freud as a fully developed person, not as an anachronism or a punch line, but as a gateway to a better understanding of ourselves, each other, and our world.” After immersing myself in On the couchI have come to the conclusion that Blauner and the authors of the collections have fulfilled their mission.

On the couch begins with Sarah Boxer’s complicated relationship with Freud, from his presence in her childhood to her career as a writer and professional cartoonist. She addresses him as a literary scholar, takes on his lack of coherence, and shows how a metaphor convinced her of his talent. I admired her challenges to Freud: “Why are you so hard on Freud? And I replied: Why are you so lenient with him?” But at the end of the day, she praises the way one mind, through its many complications, changed the world and our view of it.

“Penis Envy” by Jennifer Finney Boylan and “The Open-Armed, Beckoning Embrace” by Thomas Lynch stand out from the essay collection. Boylan is a transgender activist and describes her journey as a transgender woman in line with Freud’s theory. She says, “As a woman who was born with (a penis), all I can say is that I know exactly what he meant. But yes, I felt myself. treated unfairly.’ The essay concluded on an encouraging note, saying that after her surgery she felt “an enormous sense of relief” because she was able to fully find herself again.

Lynch’s harrowing work begins with the blunt statement, “My daughter jumped to her death from the Golden Gate Bridge.” Seamlessly weaving together Freud’s ideas on the death drive, he reveals his daughter’s suffering from schizophrenia and depression that led to her suicide and speaks about the aftermath of the event. Lynch uses Freud, Edgar Allen Poe, and poetry to tell this story while contributing to the discussion of the death drive.

Another commendable aspect of On the couch is the continued acknowledgement of Freud’s mistakes. Freud was many things, and a misogynist was one of them. He described “women who resist change, accept it passively, and add nothing of their own” (2). But authors such as Shelia Kohler and Casey Schwartz go further in the stories of the women in Freud’s life than he ever did. Kohler talks about Ida Bauer, also known as Dora, who became the basis for Freud’s most famous case study. Kohler describes the full life Ida led, describing her as a “fierce and formidable mother” with “considerable intelligence, resourcefulness, and grit.”

Schwartz describes the life of Freud’s daughter Anne Freud and her great contribution to society. Her research into child psychology led her to ensure that “almost all of the children in their kindergartens were reunited with their families” after the war, as she learned of the long-term traumatic effects that war could have on children.

Andrew Blauner On the couch has brought together a select group of authors, each bringing their own personal stories to enhance their academic writing and offer a new perspective. Each contribution equally contributes to the discussion about the man Sigmund Freud.

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