Schopenhauer's Porcupines

Intimacy And Its Dilemmas: Five Stories Of Psychotherapy

By: Deborah Anna Luepnitz

Narrated by: Deborah Anna Luepnitz

The classic compilation of psychological case studies from a master clinician and lyrical writer

Each generation of therapists can boast of only a few writers likeDeborah Luepnitz, whose sympathy and wit shine in her fine, luminous prose. In Schopenhauer's Porcupines, she recounts five true stories from her practice, stories of patients who range from the super-rich to the destitute, who grapple with panic attacks, psychosomatic illness, marital despair, and sexual recklessness. Intimate, original, and triumphantly funny, Schopenhauer's Porcupines goes further than any other book in illuminating "how talking helps."

Critic reviews

"Drawing heavily on the work of Lacan, Winnicott, and Klein, Luepintz educates us as well, allowing us to look over her shoulder and see miracles happen."—Boston Globe

"Schopenhauer's Porcupines is the most affirming, original, and literate psychoanalytic work of the past thirty years."—Psychoanalytic Psychology

"I could not put Schopenhauer's Porcupines down. These stories illustrate how a master clinician uses complex and sophisticated theory with just the right light touch, so that it seems transparent to her patients and her readers."—Lewis Aron, PhD, Director, New York University

"Deborah Luepnitz brings a rare grace, wisdom, and literary imagination to these moving stories of patients and therapists talking their way toward the illumination of themselves and each other."—Lynne Sharon Schwartz, author of Disturbances in the Field

Excellent case studies

A lovely book with great case studies and a masterful command of history. I loved the narration with the exception of some of the accents (which were a little painful). A must read for any future therapist or anyone who enjoyed therapeutic inspiration.

A great reading of a great book

What a great listen! I read and loved this wonderful book about psychotherapy many years ago. But listening to the author reading it aloud brings a wonderful new dimension to it. Luepnitz does a really lovely job of bringing her patients to life with skillful voice acting, which in turn brings a dramatic energy to the more theoretical passages. This is a rich, substantive, and entertaining book.

Enjoyable and informative

This is an engaging look at the work of psychoanalysis. Over the course of five case studies, the author introduces basic psychoanalytic concepts and shows how these apply to her patients’ situations. Luepnitz has a warm, personal tone as a narrator and explains each stage of analysis in language that the average person can understand. Unlike some, I thought the narrator’s use of different accents added clarity (since several stories involve multiple patients) and sometimes a touch of humor. A good read for anyone interested in Freudian analysis or the problems of human intimacy.

Clear and interesting

I would have liked more personal details of the author. Why did they get into this field? Etc... Really well done as is though, left me wanting more.

Profound narratives

Love the humanity in the normative nature of the client stories she chooses to share.