Professor Brown's book, like its predecessor Life Against Death,
represents an attempt to formulate, from Freudian concepts, a
comprehensive view of human history. From the perspective of
Freud's writings, the author analyzes what he conceives of as the
major problems of human existence: liberty, nature, unity, the
person, revolution, freedom, etc. But, to paraphrase Brown
paraphrasing Euripides, the demonic is polymorphous: the gods
decree many surprises; expectations are not realized. Dr. Brown's
problem is not with his writing: he writes well, sometimes
superbly. His difficulty is that he gives the reader the feeling
that there is a thesis to be proved, and, come what may, it is
going to be proved regardless of the evidence. In attempting to
establish his psycho-historical weltanschauung, he resists too
little the temptation to emphasize those similarities, sometimes
only apparent, between Freud's thought and that of the various
philosophers, historians, and theologians whom he cites; and
consequently he de-emphasizes, to everyone's disadvantage, the
really significant dis-similiarities. The result is, as the author
intends, a comprehensive view of human history: unfortunately,
however, like the demonstrations of religious dogmas, it is a view
to which only the true believer will subscribe. The work,
therefore, despite Brown's immense erudition and rhetorical
brilliance, is a failure. But even as a failure, it may be
recommended to the literate reader as a splendidly conceived
intellectual gymnastic. (Kirkus Reviews)
Originally published in 1966 and now recognized as a classic,
Norman O. Brown's meditation on the condition of humanity and its
long fall from the grace of a natural, instinctual innocence is
available once more for a new generation of readers. "Love's Body"
is a continuation of the explorations begun in Brown's famous "Life
Against Death." Rounding out the trilogy is Brown's brilliant
"Apocalypse and/or Metamorphosis."
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