When Nietzsche Wept by Irvin D. Yalom

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I wouldn't call it "great literature," but Yalom's novel is a smart, engaging read. Yalom's alternative history posits a meeting between Josef Breuer -- one of the fathers of psychoanalysis and a mentor of Sigmund Freud -- and a young Friedrich Nietzsche. The dialogue can be clunky at times, often coming across as two intellectuals philosophizing to one other rather than two human beings talking, but Yalom has a firm grasp of Nietzsche's thought -- firm enough that he can critique its extremes and flaws while still admiring its scope, audacity, and insight. Readers more familiar than I with clinical psychoanalytic technique will probably also find the discussions between doctor and patient fascinating for their exploration of the tensions, limits, and benefits of the "talking cure"; for me, they were compelling, but I simply don't have the expertise to parse out some of the subtext. Overall very enjoyable, thoughtful, and compelling.



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