Soul Murder Revisited: Thoughts about Therapy, Hate, Love, and Memory
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Book Overview
Since the publication of Dr. Leonard Shengold's highly acclaimed book Soul Murder in 1989, issues of child abuse have become the subject of much public debate. Now Dr. Shengold offers his latest reflections on the circumstances in which the willful abuse and neglect of children arises and on the consequences of this abuse, providing compelling examples from literature and from clinical material. Dr. Shengold describes various types of child abuse as well as techniques of adaptation and denial by soul murder victims. He explores the psychopathology of soul murder, addressing such issues as instinctual drives, aggression and sexuality, love, and narcissism. In a chapter on sadomasochism, he relates the story of Algernon Swinburne--who may have been a victim of soul murder--and he tells about Elizabeth Bishop, who, like Swinburne, has been able to use artistic creativity to transcend the damage sustained by early childhood trauma. Finally he offers suggestions about therapy for the abused and neglected, emphasizing the need to restore the power to care about and love others in order to ameliorate soul murder's narcissistically regressive effects.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0300086997
ISBN13:9780300086997
Release Date:September 2000
Publisher:Yale University Press
Length:340 Pages
Weight:0.15 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.5" x 8.2"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Compassionate yet unsentimental
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
Shengold's book is really important -- he explores the inner lives of child abuse victims without sentimentalizing them, proscribing their recovery from trauma, or denying their complex aggressive responses to the abuse.This serves to make the victim of abuse feel like a real human being, whose less adaptive and even bizarre sides are included rather than avoided or explained away by simple theory. Shengold's writing, while at times needing elaboration and more specific case histories, is beautiful, clear, complex, at times dazzling. The final chapter is a masterpiece of healing and hope. An important work.
Excellent information on a very important topic
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I found this book well-written and extremely useful, but it is not a very easy book to understand if you have not studied psychology.Some of the terminology and concepts are quite sophisticated and it is a pity that Shengold was not able to express his brilliance in a more user-friendly manner.I think is book is excellent for the serious student of psycholoy, abuse and psychotherapy. I fear that for those who are not familiar with terms and concepts, this book could be a difficult read.
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