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The author is a psychoanalyst, a professor of English literature, and a gifted linguist with a comprehensive knowledge of the German language. He has written a series of three books about Freud's writings which demonstrate the significance of his literary style and rhetorical stance in the development and propagation of psychoanalysis. In his first book, Freud as a Writer, we learned the various elements of Freud's literary technique. In the second book, Cries of the Wolf Man, and the present work, Mahony applies this knowledge to two of Freud's famous case histories.
However, this rich volume comprises much more: newly revealed biographical data; a minutely detailed comparison of the published case history with the original notes; a review of Freud's writings on obsessional neurosis, as well as later additions to the literature; the author's own contribution to the understanding of the dynamics of the patient; a careful analysis of transference and countertransference issues; a discussion of the differences between oral and written style; a commentary on Strachey's translation; and finally, a poem. All of this is presented in a sprightly engaging style, unusual for analytic writers.
Despite the flaws in Freud's case histories due to his inexperience and countertransference, these cases still captivate our interest as no others have. This is due in part to the brilliance of his understanding and to his intuitive ability to include data comprehended only in the light of later knowledge and theory. Just as significant are Freud's literary gifts which Mahony elucidates for us. He places particular emphasis on the use of techniques of oral communication in his writing and on Freud's processive exposition. Mahony describes processive exposition as the ongoing unfolding of thinking, in which Freud leads us through the twists and turns of the development of his ideas. Freud's speaking skills are well known; the five-hour presentation of this case at the Salzburg Co