Freud's World and How It Influenced His Thinking

 Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna, and the Discovery of the Modern Mind by Frank Tallis

Mortal Secrets book cover

First, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy of Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna, and the Discovery of the Modern Mind. I really appreciate the opportunity to read this book. Not only does it take me back to studying Freud’s theories, but it also puts them in a historical context to better understand other areas that were influential to the development of Freud’s thinking and how Freud’s ideas helped to further other areas of thought, especially art and literature. While I haven’t read any of Tallis’s other books, I may end up reading some of his mysteries. This book provides a useful overview of Freud’s ideas and traces the conceptual evolution of his various theories and thinking, noting how they changed throughout the years. I can imagine that some of Tallis’s mystery novels borrow from Freud’s thinking. Furthermore, his in-depth reporting and analysis of the historical context of the changing times in Vienna spanning the 19^th and 20^th centuries really help to frame the revolutionary and interdisciplinary nature of Freud’s theories. I really enjoyed revisiting Freud’s ideas and writings. While Tallis presents some overviews that go into depth in certain spots, it was even more interesting to see the way he explores the significance and meaning behind Freud’s case studies. I didn’t know a lot about the lives of the individuals who were the subjects, and I had mixed feelings about revealing elements of their lives. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to learn more about them and how they fit into the Viennese society of the late 19^th and early 20th centuries. While I could tell that Tallis has respect and views Freud as more than an influential voice in psychology, he also does well in critically assessing Freud’s work in today’s context, often noting either how unscientific and illogical his thinking is or considering some of the more problematic views of women. Although Freud and Psychoanalysis have their issues, Tallis also positions the discussion of Freud’s ideas and the tenets of Psychoanalysis in a historical context, which allows readers to see how groundbreaking and innovative they were for the time. In addition, it was interesting to see how other fields and thinkers like Darwin and Frazier influenced Freud’s ideas. As someone who is interested in psychology and especially Freud, this was a great book. It doesn’t necessarily break much new ground, but it provides an excellent historical context for understanding Freud’s views and the development of Psychoanalysis. It also delves into some of the other movements, especially in art, literature, and music, that may have been influenced by Psychoanalysis and Freud’s theories. While Freud is the main subject of the text, other artists and thinkers share some time in the spotlight, notably Alma Mahler. Her chapter was one of the more interesting ones, and it’s kind of strange that I recently read another book that mentioned a story about one of her lovers who ended up creating a life size doll of her. Tallis presents the relationship of the Mahlers, sharing that the composer Mahler visited Freud because of issues with his relationship with Alma. While there was not a lot about surrealism and Freud, the section about Dali’s meeting with Freud towards the end of Freud’s life was kind of funny. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how Freud’s ideas and theories extended beyond the realm of mental health and psychology and ended up having more of an impact on areas like literature, music, and art. I recommend this book if you are interested in Freud’s ideas and influence, even if you recognize some of the problematic aspects of his thinking. The book provides an excellent overview and biography of Freud, while also situating his ideas and theories in the historical, scientific and artistic movements of his time and after.