The Anatomy of Melancholy (New York Review Books Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Occult Psychology wrapped within classic literature
Review: This book is quite interesting because it holds within its many pages a teaching that is deeper than what it may seem. There is a deep psychological teaching that mixes itself with high spiritual principles, esoteric Christian Gnosticism in its raw form, and countless viels that keep such things hidden from the eyes of the average literary scholar... Why would Burton write in such a way? The same reason Dante did...
But what is it that Burton is trying to show us, with his quotes from the Alchemical Master Galen and Latin stanzas?
Why must we understand the "Anatomy of Meloncholy"? The anatomy of our own suffering and the suffering of the world...
The Master M refers to Burton in his books of Occult Mysticism.
For us, as common "modern westerners", to understand such esoteric psychology-and not have to learn Latin, Tibetan, Sanskrit or Chinese, we must study the books of SAMAEL AUN WEOR. He writes in such a way as to unveil those truly hidden mysteries: "Know thyself and thy shall Know the universe and all its Gods".
Find the book of "Revolutionary Psychology" or "The Perfect Matrimony" by the said author. These books are amazing supplements to books like Burton's. These books give the western student a strong foundation in the psychological aspect of Occultism. SAMAEL AUN WEOR's books can be a bit difficult (to find), as they are continuously being translated from the original language (Spanish). Yet they can be bought from any Gnostic Institute (www.gnosticinstitute.org).

Rating:
Summary: Occult Psychology wrapped within classic literature
Review: This book is quite interesting because it holds within its many pages a teaching that is deeper than what it may seem. There is a deep psychological teaching that mixes itself with high spiritual principles, esoteric Christian Gnosticism in its raw form, and countless viels that keep such things hidden from the eyes of the average literary scholar... Why would Burton write in such a way? The same reason Dante did...
But what is it that Burton is trying to show us, with his quotes from the Alchemical Master Galen and Latin stanzas?
Why must we understand the "Anatomy of Meloncholy"? The anatomy of our own suffering and the suffering of the world...
The Master M refers to Burton in his books of Occult Mysticism.
For us, as common "modern westerners", to understand such esoteric psychology-and not have to learn Latin, Tibetan, Sanskrit or Chinese, we must study the books of SAMAEL AUN WEOR. He writes in such a way as to unveil those truly hidden mysteries: "Know thyself and thy shall Know the universe and all its Gods".
Find the book of "Revolutionary Psychology" or "The Perfect Matrimony" by the said author. These books are amazing supplements to books like Burton's. These books give the western student a strong foundation in the psychological aspect of Occultism. SAMAEL AUN WEOR's books can be a bit difficult (to find), as they are continuously being translated from the original language (Spanish). Yet they can be bought from any Gnostic Institute (www.gnosticinstitute.org).

Rating:
Summary: Chock full of curious lore and strong prose
Review: This purports to be a medical textbook, and many of the obviously learned author's quotations are from half-forgotten late mediæval medical writers. A plausible translation of the title into modern terms would be "A Study of Abnormal Psychology." The application of Scholastic methods to this topic --- so similar, and yet so different, from contemporary academic discourse --- creates a curious impression. He invokes astrology and theology in forming his psychology.

But in fact, Burton uses this arcane subject to go off on a profound and lengthy meditation on the melancholies and misfortunes of life itself. The author, it seems, was easily distracted, and his distractions are our gain. The passages on the Melancholy of Scholars, and the Melancholy of Lovers, are themselves worthy of the price of admission.

His prose is unlike anything before him or since him. It has some kinship to the paradoxical and simile-laden style of the Euphuists, but his individual sentences are often pithy and brief.

This seventeenth-century classic ought to be read by anyone interested in the period, in early psychology, or in the history of English prose.

Rating:
Summary: Chock full of curious lore and strong prose
Review: This purports to be a medical textbook, and many of the obviously learned author's quotations are from half-forgotten late mediæval medical writers. A plausible translation of the title into modern terms would be "A Study of Abnormal Psychology." The application of Scholastic methods to this topic --- so similar, and yet so different, from contemporary academic discourse --- creates a curious impression. He invokes astrology and theology in forming his psychology.

But in fact, Burton uses this arcane subject to go off on a profound and lengthy meditation on the melancholies and misfortunes of life itself. The author, it seems, was easily distracted, and his distractions are our gain. The passages on the Melancholy of Scholars, and the Melancholy of Lovers, are themselves worthy of the price of admission.

His prose is unlike anything before him or since him. It has some kinship to the paradoxical and simile-laden style of the Euphuists, but his individual sentences are often pithy and brief.

This seventeenth-century classic ought to be read by anyone interested in the period, in early psychology, or in the history of English prose.

Rating:
Summary: edition makes light of a heavy paperback
Review: This review assumes a familiarity with the text.
It applies to the nyrb classics April 2001 edition.

I've been looking out for keeper editions of two classics for more than 20 years now.
Both of them have recently been published in the nyrb classics series.

This edition of a book I could only afford to pester librarians for inter-library loans for - I don't have access to a big city's resources or the budget to splash out on the Oxford edition - is in every important way what I need.
It is physically accessible, having a good wide binding margin with fine enough leaves to allow hands-free reading at a table (and at least a half hour of supine reading before your chest caves in with the weight). It has been edited with obvious care, showing regard for the 19th Century work done by Shilleto but not leaving the reader to wallow in disagreeable old-fashioned type, spelling etc.

In particular, the editor has not made more than the fewest necessary notes of his own; your reading is not hindered at all.
For those who are not comfortable with small type, I'd suggest a careful look at the specimens online before they commit any money.
I like the clean type and find that small type is easier to read in my scanning style than anything more expansive.

And the index is, so far as I have had time to check, mostly reliable but with a few misdirections as to the book number.

So, for the price it is a marvel.
And even at a greater price I would consider it very good value.