This was such an interesting read/listen - especially for someone whose knowledge of Freud is just starting to grow.

I really enjoyed the essays included in this collection, and hope to revisit them once I have more Freudian context to back them up/understand them better.

Great stories about therapy, found it really charming and interesting and insightful. Hated the narrator.

Disclosure #1 I listened to this collection of essays in audio format, and it was probably not the right format for me. I’m used to audio-books for fiction, even big ones (I listened to Stephen King’s 11.22.63 all 36 hours of amazing story), but I’m not that used to audio non-fiction. I thought that given that I listen to many podcasts, that would not be a problem. Turns out, this collection was a bit difficult to follow. Some essays were really going into details I did not follow and I had trouble concentrating for some 30 minutes on some specific topics, so I DNF-ed a few (maybe 3 or 4). Apart from that, the reading was clear and nice to listen to.

Disclosure #2 when I was a teenager I fell headlong into Freud and became obsessed by its theories for a few years. It was fascinating to me that dreams had hidden meanings or that slips of the tongue might reveal some secrets that my conscious mind didn’t want to reveal. All this to say that I consider myself familiar with Freud’s theories and life. Still, this collection of essays taught me lots of new things, both details of his life or his theories, or new ways to understand them. Some writers did write about Freud’s influence through psychoanalysis in their own life, and I must say that it was hit and miss for me. Other essays, like Cold Toibin’s or Siri Hustvedt’s, were really interesting. I don’t think that the collection might appeal to people who aren’t familiar with Freud, but I may be mistaken.

I’m glad that I was given the chance to see Freud through approaches so widely different: from rejection to honoring his legacy despite his shortcomings, from tragedy to humor, from family history to short story. Who knew Freud would resonate in so many aspects of those writers’ lives and ideas? Siri Hustvedt’s essay, that concludes the book, is a memorable synthesis as to why he is still relevant today. I wouldn’t mind re-reading a few of his essays.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.

I am a therapist. Freud was full of interesting ideas. Many of his theories carry on today and some have even become commonplace, part of our lexicon. Other theories of his are just wild and laughable.

This book is an anthology of authors experiences with and opinions of all things Freudian. As each chapter comes from a different author, the tone varies. Some might appeal to you while others do not. That, paired with the theories that may or may not appeal to you, this book is hot or miss. Because of this, I found it challenging to chug through. Frankly, much of it just felt verbose, talking for the sake of hearing yourself.

Im not sure who I think the ideal audience is for this book. As someone who has studied psychology for decades, I would think it might be me. Alas, it was not for me. I can’t think of who I would recommend this to so I probably would not recommend it.

This audiobook was interesting for the most part & I enjoyed both the male & female narrators. The essays were a bit all over the place in this collection. I personally enjoyed listening to the history of Freud & his great impact on psychoanalysis. Some of the essays, however, were hard to finish. There were personal experiences mixed in with biographical material. Definitely an interesting mix.

I'm absolutely sure that someone of a more academic bent would get lots more out of this book. However I read it as an interested bystander who isnt too sure whether psychoanalysis is everything it's cracked up to be. I asked for the book because I thought there'd be more for someone like me.

What you actually get is a decent mix of devotees and sceptics, academics and non-academics, historians, fiction writers and those who have subjected themselves, on occasion, to some form of therapy or another. I count myself amongst the last even though my therapy was more gentle and only lasted for as long as my health anxiety (this during Covid, after a stroke and a husband with cancer). Therapy, for me, worked wonderfully and it was as simple as - busy your mind, do something that fills the panic space - so I began learning Japanese and then Russian.

After reading others thoughts on psychoanalysis (and, as one writer put it, neither would I "sell the family home" in order to undergo therapy) I am still skeptical. However I have not read Freud and I think, to have an opinion, you need to go to the source. So, perhaps when I'm feeling clever, I might just do that.

On the whole the book is interesting, it is not an easy read in parts but it does raise lots of questions about mind and brain. It is fascinating to hear what erudite minds make of the great Freud (or the grapefruit, as someone misheard).

I listened to the audio version which was well read - very clear and measured which is what you need in a book like this.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for the advance review copy.

This was a very entertaining and informative book!
I had a lot of fun hearing about Freud’s life from so many different perspectives, from his connection to his dogs to his style of working with patients.
Details of Anna Freud also peaked my attention, and gave me more to research in my own time.
There’s no doubt that Freud’s work and theories still impact us today, and I was amazed by the ways that it bleeds into so many aspects of life and how his research has sparked new ideas about the human brain.
I knew very very little about Freud’s life before this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the “father of psychology” through a humorous and educational bundle of essays.

3.5
This collection of a say dealt with anything you can think about a person in this case Freud.
In fact, the topics various from Freud’s life to his approach on psychoanalysis and I would say
that the first one is the one that interests me the most and made me want to continue the book and the narrators were great.
I’ve never studied philosophy, but I always wanted to so this book made me more curious about the subject.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed reading this one in short bits on the couch! Everyone should add this to their bookshelf or gift to a friend. Loved the format. Thanks NetGalley for the ALC

It just wasn't what I hoped it would be.

Thank you to Siri Hustvedt; Andre Aciman; Jennifer Finney Boylan; Alex Pheby; Colm Toibin, HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

On the Couch is a collection of essays and stories in which writers reflect on some aspect of Freudianism or Freud himself. Like most anthologies, the writing in this work varied in rating. I was surprised by how much the topics varied as well - for instance some works are personal reflections on how Freudianism has shown up in the author’s life while others are historical recounts of Freud’s life or work. There is even one purely fictional short story with a Freudian twist. All essays are well-written and those that delve into history are clearly throughly researched. I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and really liked the voices of both narrators.

I really enjoyed learning more about Freud and his life but the essays that were the strongest in my opinion were the personal pieces. The entries Penis Envy by Jennifer Finney Boylan, My Oedipus Complex by David Michaelis, and Growing up Freudian by Peter D. Kramer were highlights to me. However, I gave more essays in this collection 2s and 3s than I did 4s and 5s. I ultimately struggled to maintain attention through some of the entries.

This novel is definitely worth a read if you are interested in learning more about Freud - just know that you will read about him from a wide varied of perspectives and through writings that may not all be to your liking.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn’t able to finish this audiobook. I think I would have liked the print version better maybe, or maybe, as a mood reader, this just wasn’t hitting, but life is too short to make yourself listen to or read something that you’re not enjoying! I am someone who really likes psychology and loved the idea of this book, but found it far dryer than I had hoped it would be, and most chapters only tangentially related to Freud.

I will start by saying that I'm a psychotherapist. I'm NOT a psychoanalyst, but like many who have pursued a career in the field of psychology, Freud has always been a character of interest. I was curious to hear takes on Freud, especially as many of his theories now feel a bit outlandish and outdated. This book was interesting, but I don't know if I would say I actively enjoyed it. The collection of stories were obviously related with the common thread of Freud, but some felt like they were more historical and others seemed to just be reflections that would fall into the "weird" category.... like exploring penis envy and being sexually attracted to your mom. I mean I knew it was a book about Freud, but it was just not what I was expecting.

The narration was really great! I have listened to Perry Daniels before and he one of my favorites to listen to. Dina Pearlman also did a great job. I enjoyed that the book had different narrators for different stories, as they otherwise may have flowed too closely together.

Again, this was not what I was expecting to listen to. There were a few stories I was entertained by, and I did learn quite a bit about Freud. I didn't know his wife's sister lived with them, that he had 6 children, and that his cancer was so bad that his dogs couldn't stand the foul smell. I would definitely be interested in learning more about Sigmund Freud's life, but probably not so interested in others' musing on how he has impacted their life.

Thank you to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio, and the narrators, writers, and editor of this ALC for this audiobook!