Freud's ‘On Narcissism: An Introduction’ edited by Joseph Sandler, Ethel Spector Person and Peter Fonagy. Published by  Yale University Press, London, 1991, £17.95.

We use the terms ‘narcissism’ and ‘narcissistic’ constantly but what do we really mean by them? The closer we look, the more elusive, also the more crucial, the idea seems to be. And how central is narcissism to Freud's thinking? What Freud meant and what we mean are so interrelated that we cannot think about one issue without also considering the other. This book provides considerable help in reaching conclusions about both issues. The International Psychoanalytic Association deserve thanks for commissioning this useful collection of essays based on ‘On Narcissism.’

The contributors come from all over Europe, the USA and Argentina, and represent both their local interests and the various psychoanalytic schools of thought. They were all asked to draw out the important points and link the paper with our present state of knowledge, so certain themes, such as the inadequacies of the libido theory and the developing concept of the ego, come up repeatedly. However each author has his or her own approach and perspective, therefore the repetition is not frustrating. It is, however, a challenging book; ‘On Narcissism’ is hard to read, for reasons which I will explain; and each author uses his or her space fully with a close critique of the paper. But do not be put off as the hard work is amply repaid.

‘On Narcissism’ is the first paper and reading the other papers makes it clear why it is a demanding read. It uses outmoded language and ideas; it is richly ambiguous; and