When I first saw the cover of this book. I imagined I would be able to have a light read, enjoy the drawings and finish it quickly, having had a swift review of Klein's work in a tasty and digestible form. I was reassured at seeing Hinshelwood's name, as I knew the contents would be sound. The words ‘for Beginners' and the idea of all those pictures engendered a (misguided) feeling of optimism and rather smug confidence. I am at the end of my child psychotherapy training, and, although I am a BAP trainee and not at the Tavistock, I considered I had a fair understanding of Melanie Klein's concepts.

I had read Lenin for Beginners some years ago and had thoroughly enjoyed it. It too was illustrated by Oscar Zarate, so I looked forward to a gentle, picturesque, even amusing, stroll through Klein's life and work However, the book is much darker than the tide suggests. In some ways, I felt more like a beginner at the end of the book than I had at the beginning. This was more to do with the illustrations than