About: Another bestseller from Yalom, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and the author of Love's Executioner. This is a richly evocative novel that portrays an astutely imagined relationship between Europe's greatest philosopher and one of the founding fathers of psychoanalysis.Review: Josef Breuer tried to test his talking cure,that developed in his treatment of Bertha Pappenheim, on Nietzsche in the Viennese winter of 1882. In the novel, Breuer takes Nietzsche as a patient at the behest of Lou Salomé, who believes that Nietzsche’s obsession with her has driven him to the brink of suicide.
To begin with, the reason I read this book is Irvin Yalom, I loved The Schopenhauer Cure and after I asked my teachers' recommendation she proposed this book. I am glad I read it even though I had second thoughts at the beginning.
First of all “When Nietzsche Wept” introduces' some powerful, life-altering ideas. It is one of those books that change the way one thinks. Yalom has written many books about psychotherapy, but in this one he talks about the beginnings of therapy through a fictional story, and uses real historical characters (among them, Nietsche and Freud) but put them in imaginary situations.
This book is not a fast read, it deals with some complex philosophical ideas but it is not very complicated, one of Yalom's achievements is that his novels makes you "think". Actually, it is quite an inspiring book, which examines the birth of a new medical profession (before anyone thought of it as a profession).
On the other hand there were some parts that I did not like. I really do not like books or movies that take place in other eras, so I did not enjoy that, also because it is about 1882 I could not stop thinking that the doctors did not know anything about medicine and how painful and wrong their treatments must have been. Finally I found tiring one part of the book, when Josef Breuer was trying to convince Nietzsche to accept the treatment and he was refusing constantly.
To sum up, I recommend this book to those who like Nietzsche, or psychotherapy, or psychology, or just like books that have to offer something, books that make one think. For me it is 6/10.
When Nietzsche Wept Movie (2007)
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There is lot of spam lately at the posts, so for a while i will put up the comment moderation. Sorry for that, i really don't like it but i thought it might stop the spamming. It will be down soon enough! Thanks a lot :)