Feminine Psychology (The Norton library) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "WHILE OUR KNOWLEDGE of the forms that the castration complex may assume in women has become more and more comprehensive, our insight into the nature..." (more)
Key Phrases: neurotic need for love, masculinity wishes, vaginal masturbation, Collected Papers, Georg Simmel, Helene Deutsch (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

As a psychoanalytic pioneer, Karen Horney questioned some of Freud's formulations of psychosexual development, particularly in relation to women. In this collection of papers, many previously unavailable in English, she brings to the subject of femininity her acute clinical observations and a rigorous testing of both her own hypotheses and those formulated by Freud. The topics she discusses include frigidity, the problem of the monogamous ideal, maternal conflicts, the distrust between the sexes, feminine masochism, and the neurotic need for love. Throughout the book, Dr. Horney draws on her experience as a therapist and at the same time consistently evaluates psychological factors within the context of cultural forces.
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About the Author

Karen Horney (1885?) was also the author of The Neurotic Personality of Our Time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co. (October 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393310809
• ISBN-13: 978-0393310801
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #459,754 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Horney Still Tied To Freud, February 22, 2009

By	M. DUTRA (Sao Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Unfortunately, this is the worst Horney's book, for several reasons. First, This is a compendium of articles and speeches, not a book that has unity, a beginning and end. It was not edited by the author and therefore, it lacks the good flow of thought that her other books have.
Second, these writings are from an earlier phase, when clearly Horney was still very attached and afraid (?) to challenge Freud. I am not going to beat a dead horse here, since there are so many critics of Freud around, but some of his theories sound just like wild guessings to the point of being ridiculous. It feels like Freud has never seen a real child in his life. Horney accepts Freud's psychosexual ideas and swallows them hook and sink: there is no doubt that Horney at that time (1928, 1930) was totally Freudian. Her criticism is just a hint, in two or three very small topics, like penis envy in girls. And even in these topics, she doesn't really challenge her guru and idol Freud.
The later Horney with her brilliant neurosis theory is totally absent from this book. I wonder what her ideas would be had she written a book on the same topic just before her death.

9 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars antidote to freud, July 18, 2001

By	"mattjuge" (Fort Worth, TX United States) - See all my reviews

in this book karen horney shows her usual insight and clear writing style as she helps to undo some of the damage done by freud's narrow view of the psychology of the female mind