The Chains of Eros: The Sexual in Psychoanalysis

Rating:
Summary: The Greening of Sex.
Review: For those familiar with Green's previous works, I would highly recommend this book. Unlike his journal articles, Chains of Eros can be read without having to be studied. The book's chapters develop a thesis arguing for the importance of using and understanding sexuality in psychoanalytic work. There is nothing musty or fossilized here. This book is concerned with contemporary practice in a modern world of shifting ideas about sexuality. Green's ability to link classical Freudian ideas with modern psychoanalytic thinking remains impressive. He offers support here for Joyce McDougall's formulations regarding neo-sexualities.

The translation is very good. However, many of the references are not available in English.

For those unfamiliar with Green, this book is an accessible starting point to explore French psychoanalytic ideas-or at least the post-Lacanian thinking with which Green identifies. One should be warned: there is very little concern with American psychoanalysis, as Green subsumes nearly all Americans under the genre of ego psychology. [Is the Atlantic split widening? I remember mentioning a work on psychoanalytic technique by Etchegoyen to Stephen Mitchell last year, and his only comment was that relational psychoanalysis was not even mentioned in the book. To which I return: And how many articles on relational psychoanalysis have you submitted to the International Journal of Psychoanalysis?]

Those familiar with Winnicott and Bion will more easily follow Green's orientation. Green's opinions are strongly stated and some of his ideas are provocative. This work should be intriguing to those who are willing to re-think Freudian ideas. In my experience, Green's understanding of Freud is unparalleled. I always leave Green feeling nurtured, challenged and provoked to think deeply about important things.