Solitude: A Return to the Self (edition 2005)

Anthony Storr contrasts the significance of human relationships with the power of solitude in this engaging look at the nature of solitude. The importance of the impersonal part of the human condition and its value for creativity and life is the message of Storr's thoughtful meditation and exegesis. On a voyage consisting of twelve chapters or excursions into the variety of solitude and its meaning the author considers aspects from the "hunger of the imagination" to the "search for coherence" in one's life with digressions into depression and its counterparts. Containing a wealth of references to writers from Plato to Freud (plus artists and other creative types) the book uses examples of creativity and healthy living that have flourished in solitude. While the creative among us have contributed to the benefit of all, Storr suggests that everyone can benefit from some moments of solitude, if not a life based upon it. The desire for human companionship is important, but it should not exclude a realization and participation in moments of solitude. This book expands the possibility for human flourishing by considering the impersonal side of our human nature. ( )

Solitude: A Return to the Self by Anthony Storr
It is very tempting to see this book as a pioneer essay on the subject of solitude, especially as it pertains to the creative individual. But Storr's conclusions are too closely tied to conventional, non-rational theories about man and his mind.

The problem with this book is that Storr's arguments for solitude are too closely interwoven with false psychological theories, which view man as a non-volitional being - i.e., as an entity unconsciously driven by Freudian or Jungian demons. Thus, the many eloquent things Storr has to say *for* solitude could not be defended except out of context. These theories, commentaries and viewpoints, which Storr often falls back on to substantiate his own points, cannot be disregarded.

This book does not even mention one actual case of healthy, happy solitude. It is a study of creativity in the face of depression and deprivation. Creativity is explicitly conceived of as imagination rather than reason, and self-esteem is construed as socially created and its lack is what the individual is striving to remedy.

Although it is clear that the author values the individual and his need and capacity for solitude, the premises from which he argues are a horrendous mash of the worst behaviourist and other anti-volitional notions ever concocted. ( )

Any quick look at the self-help section in any large bookstore shows the prime importance that relationships hold in making people happy. With all the focus on relationships, people who choose to live largely solitary lives are looked at as, well, a little odd. In Solitude, psychiatrist Anthony Storr sets out to challenge the idea that mental health revolves around interpersonal relationships, and that solitary pursuits are only an impoverished substitute for love and / or sex.

To be honest, I am a little hesitant on how to rate the result. Storr begins Solitude by insisting that a primary focus on the impersonal (careers, artistic pursuits, hobbies) does not mean that a person is unhappy or mentally ill. However, he goes on to give examples of famed highly solitary, highly creative people who more often than not were disturbed, depressed, or had emotionally impoverished childhoods. These examples seemed to reinforce rather than contradict the stereotype that creative, introverted types are inherently unstable and that a rich inner life is merely compensation for love.

On the other hand, I found this book enjoyable and interesting in spite of its failures. Storr does show how solitary pursuits can benefit the individual. He describes how a rich inner life and creative pursuits can function as a form of self-therapy in times of trial and deprivation, in the threat of mental breakdown, and during old age. He speaks of some of the benefits that periods of solitude can provide to people who have become too dependent on their relationships to others. I will be frank. I myself struggle with emotional and social problems. Certainly part of my enjoyment was that I could identify with many of the people Storr discusses, and I was happy with his analytic yet sympathetic portrayals.

If you are looking for something on content and happy solitary people, this book will probably be a disappointment. If you are interested in both the psychology of creativity and the many kinds of experiences, good and bad, that came with solitude, it is highly recommended. ( )

British psychiatrist challenges established belief (in 1988 when pub.) that interpersonal relationships are the chief if not the only source of happiness. Makes the case for solitary activity as indispensible in living a full creative life. ( )

In this acclaimed book, the eminent psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Storr challenges the widely held view that success in personal relationships is the only key to happiness. He argues persuasively that we pay far too little attention to some of the other great satisfactions of life - work and creativity. In a series of skillful biographical sketches, among them Beethoven, Henry James, Goya, Wittgenstein, Kipling, and Beatrix Potter, he demonstrates how many of the creative geniuses of our civilization have been solitary, by temperament or circumstance, and how the capacity to be alone is, even for those who are not creative, a sign of maturity.