W. H. Auden described Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) as “a whole climate of opinion / Under whom we conduct our differing lives.” The controversial father of psychiatry and psychoanalysis, Freud charted the human unconscious, brought us the talking cure, and wrote books that now rank among the classics of world literature. In On the Couch, the great analyst is analyzed by some of today’s great writers and thinkers, who help us understand the man who has helped us understand ourselves as much, if not more, than anyone else, ever. The result is a fresh, multifaceted reassessment of Freud’s continuing relevance and influence on ideas, literature, culture, science, and more.
Here, Colm Tóibín writes about Freud, World War I, Henry James, and Thomas Mann; Adam Gopnik explores Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents; Susie Orbach considers Freud’s “ordinary unhappiness” and D. W. Winnicott’s “good enough”; Jennifer Finney Boylan reflects on penis envy and gender identity; Peter Kramer describes how new science and drugs have revolutionized psychology since Freud; Susie Boyt, one of Freud’s great-granddaughters, spends the night at the Freud Museum in London; Siri Hustvedt examines Freud’s divided reception today; and there’s much more.
Filled with insights, provocation, and humor, On the Couch offers an original and nuanced portrait of Freud as a complex figure who, for all his flaws, forever changed how we see ourselves and the world.
Awards and Recognition
- A Millions Most Anticipated Book of 2024
- An Independent Best Book to Read This Month
- A Guardian Book of the Day
Andrew Blauner is a literary agent and the editor of eight previous anthologies, including Now Comes Good Sailing: Writers Reflect on Henry David Thoreau (Princeton), Coach: 25 Writers Reflect on People Who Made a Difference, and The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life. He is a member of PEN America and he and his work have appeared in the New York Times and on NPR, among other media outlets.
"Touching. . . . Powerful. . . . Lovely. . . . The contributors to On the Couch write in the hope of resuscitating not so much Freudianism as Sigmund Freud the man."—Joseph Epstein, Wall Street Journal
"Entertainingly diverse. Surprises — like Freudian slips — are everywhere."—Ron Charles, Washington Post
"[A] lively volume. . . . Taking tacts both personal and psycholanalytical, these essays paint a fresh, full picture of Freud’s life, work, and indelible cultural impact."—The Millions
"A collection of authors’ fascinating thoughts on Freud."—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub
"At a time when Freud is so easily written off as ‘an anachronism or a punch line,’ when ‘his story is one that many people think they know,’ [On the Couch] pushes against the myth of that single, already-familiar story by offering unique lines of reasoning and association about a vast array of issues related to him. . . . A solid collage of voices to complicate our picture of psychoanalysis."—Kirkus Reviews
"Rich. . . . This lively collection of essays confirms Freud’s continued importance."—Donald Weber, Jewish Book Council
"Andrew Blauner’s On The Couch has brought together a fine number of writers; each one bringing their personal stories to elevate their academic writing and provide a new perspective."—Redbrick Culture
"A lovely grab bag of essays, with meditations on Freud’s dogs, terrifying glimpses into trauma. . . and analysands and analysts meditating on the value or otherwise of what they did inside the secular confessional."—Stuart Jeffries, The Guardian
"Splendid."—Martin Chilton, The Independent
"This volume varies as much as the writers themselves . . . . What makes them cohere is the authors’ inability to escape Freud’s influence."—Chase Padusniak, Commonweal
"[T]here is much here to intrigue and provoke. . . . The best essays come from those writers who seem intuitively to sense what it is they can bring to the reading of Freud as writers."—Josh Cohen, Times Literary Supplement
