Introduction To The Work Of Melanie Klein [Paperback]

Hanna Segal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 1980 | ISBN-10: 0465035841 | ISBN-13: 978-0465035847 | Edition: 2nd edition

A concise yet thorough review of the work of a pioneer in psychoanalysis and a founder of the analytic play technique.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A concise yet thorough review of Melanie Klein, a pioneer in psychoanalysis and the founder of the analytic play technique.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 2nd edition edition (April 10, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465035841
• ISBN-13: 978-0465035847
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #686,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clarifying Klein, December 3, 2007

By 

Chris Michael "Ph.D." (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction To The Work Of Melanie Klein (Paperback)

Klein's own writing is not the hardest style to read and comprehend in terms of the words themselves (unlike, for example, Bion, her student). However, she has a very stark and literalist feel to her that can be dismaying and can put you off your supper, so to speak. At first I could not really take Klein in very easily, except to recognize that she (along with some others) was responsible for a lot of modern developents in psychoanalysis once her ideas were elaborated by others. That said, this plainly worded summary of the basic points of Klein's theorizing is excellent and really helped cement my understanding. For example, the clarification of the term 'instinct' alone was worth the price of admission. This aided me in getting over my puzzlement and revulsion at the concept of a so-called 'death instinct,' although further reading of other authors really has made the 'life' and 'death' instincts merely useful labels at this point. (Segal clarifies that the word 'instinct' is essentially a mistranslation or difficulty in translation, so that 'instinct' does not really imply a completely hard-wired behsvior as in animals, but merely a strong behavioral tendency. 'Tendency' and 'instinct' overlap, but are quite different). At any rate, this is a wonderful introduction to Klein by one of her own students.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic on a Classic, December 16, 2006

By 

Gregory T. Lombardo (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introduction To The Work Of Melanie Klein (Paperback)

This is a short volume that distills the thought of one of the great psychoanalytic innovators into a quickly accessible but sophisticated account--accessible to a student, valuable to an experienced clinician. Like brandy from champagne.

Gregory T. Lombardo, MD, PhD