The Hamlet Syndrome: Overthinkers Who Underachieve [Hardcover]

Adrienne Miller (Author), Andrew Goldblatt (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (March 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688078516
• ISBN-13: 978-0688078515
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,112,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An insightful but flawed book that was ahead of its time., November 17, 1999

By 

James A. Strong (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hamlet Syndrome: Overthinkers Who Underachieve (Hardcover)

There were times I had to put this book down because I found descriptions of myself on almost every page. Miller and Goldblatt have beautifully captured the essence of a very specific band of outsiders. The depth of their insight is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

For several chapters, the authors define the symptoms of the Hamlet Syndrome and provide ample support to make their case. They are able to sympathize with their subjects while also gently criticizing them. This balance is maintained right up until the end of the book, where the tone shifts from an intriguing work of sociological scholarship to a preachy invective of righteous indignation.

This is the place where "The Hamlet Syndrome" goes from being timeless to dated. It is obviously a product of the Reagan era. While the former president and his policies are indeed ripe for criticism, the authors' censure comes from out of nowhere. Furthermore, after spending several chapters gracefully tracing the alienation of modern-day Hamlets without taking sides, Miller and Goldblatt turn around and blame society itself for shutting Hamlets out.

It makes for a rather inappropriate ending to what is otherwise a remarkably intuitive and touching book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You're smart. You'll know which parts to ignore., June 24, 2005

By 

J. Jorgensen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hamlet Syndrome: Overthinkers Who Underachieve (Hardcover)

I thought it was just me! Nope, it isn't. And all my peculiarities, my endless pontificating (usually about myself), my hyperawareness of the influence of my actions no matter how miniscule (not recycling a receipt), my exhaustive extrapolations of every possible situation to their usually negative terminus, and my hyper criticism of everything, yeah, they're all indicative of the Hamlet Syndrome. Would you rather stay in college forever instead of getting a "real" job? Do you poo-poo people who value material wealth over achieving personal satisfaction and integrity? Does the idea of joining the "rat race" of the mainstream disgust you? Yeah? Then you got it too. I feel so weird now. The authors busted my on my bulls--t. Now I can't leave piles of dirty laundry and dishes around, and spending the day reading does not make me a better person than those studio execs in their SUVs. I'm better than them because, wait, give me a second...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting thesis with little true evidence, May 9, 2007

By 

JackOfMostTrades "Jack" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Hamlet Syndrome: Overthinkers Who Underachieve (Hardcover)

What happened to the middle class counter-culture types who found themselves at the age of 25 or 30 in the mid-1980's with 'no direction home' The authors provide anecdotal evidence via interviews that many such idealistic, articulate young people found themselves in dead end jobs (working in bookstores, office assistants, word processors) because they refused to join the system; and naturally by and large the people interviewed are not very happy. The authors' solution after perhaps too much repetitive analysis is to stay true to your values and find a profession that can provide you a decent living (teaching, social work, etc.) You may not save the world, but you'll save your dignity: so runs the logic. This 'problem' from a 1989 book may seem rather quaint nowadays. However, in the new millenium, such a strategy may be deadly. When smart people decide its best to be peripheral to the 'system,' and develop modest goals in life, it enables power-hungry talentless fanatics roaming our political landscape to thrive. The authors fail to note in their metaphor that the character Hamlet in Shakespeare's play dies, but at least he dies fighting.