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Baden Baden, September 9, 1927
Dear Professor,
A letter from you produces high spirits which I shall use to answer you straight away. This is not meant to be taken as begging for a further letter though I cannot deny that it would please me.
I share your view about the unfitness of illustrations for books like these but the public occasionally has curious wishes. It is possible that it might like an illustrated edition. The publishers will know best whether the attempt would be rewarding.
I know that you do not like The Book of the It. But I have never understood why you put it in the same class as Stekel's books. The expression It mythology does not help me, it might be taken as a compliment as well as a reproach.
The value of a book is decided by the reader, and there is no point in an author's defending his book; one knows anyway that he likes it, otherwise he would not publish it. But you are not really a teacher who is responsible for his pupils' achievements, you are not even a reader in the normal sense of the word, but you are Freud and as such you better judge the follies of your admirers with leniency. In the same way in which your praise invigorates your criticism kills.
When I look at the achievements of psychoanalytic literature in the last years I find the same monotony which you found in the It mythology, only in a different key. Why do you not allow me the mitigating circumstances you allow others? In spite of your rejection I believe that this book possesses some merits that should not be underrated. First, all the facts in it are true;