Adam Phillips (1) (1954–)

Although too clever for his shirt, Adam Phillips is undoubtedly a keen observer of human behaviour and emotions seen through the lens of Freudian mythology. Polishing his turns of phrase to an impressive shine, he turns the leaden assumptions of psychoanalysis into golden aphorisms on the nature of frustration and satisfaction in our lives and minds.

And if you enjoy the frustration of being teased with implication, without the satisfaction of being fed with understanding, then this is the book for you. However, while the language sparkles, there's something missing - an original idea? significance? integrity? lived experience? It's hard to tell when you're blinded with so much rhetorical bling.

Still, there are useful nuggets here, albeit some sifted from other authors. Take for example his quotation of Franz Kafka's striking observation from Zurau Aphorisms:

'You can withdraw from the sufferings of the world - that possibility is open to you and accords with your nature - but perhaps that withdrawal is the only suffering you might be able to avoid.'

There's a writer with a life, not just a keyboard.… (more)

My main objection to On flirtation is that this is a book of literary criticism, rather than psychology. So instead of writing essays on these topics, they are in almost each case reviews of books. They are the kind of reviews that you find in a literary supplement, obviously very well-written. However, if I had known that these were book reviews, -- of books which I will never buy -- I would probably not have bought this book. In that sense, it is also somewhat misleading to praise the author of erudition, while in fact it is just professional knowledge.

The topics are tantalizing: On flirtation, on love, on success, depression, perversion and cross-dressing, to name a few. There are also reviews of books on Freud's circle and Erich Fromm. However, many reviews are rather technical, addressing specific issues more of interest to the professional than a layman in the field of psycho-analysis.

As an odd after-thought, the book ends with four reviews or essays of literary criticism on Philip Roth, Isaac Rosenberg, Karl Kraus and John Clare. These essays are very interesting.… (more)