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This work of Dr. Coriat is an effort at putting the Freudian concept of the meaning and interpretation of dreams into simple language for lay consumption, a dangerous undertaking, but really very well handled by Dr. Coriat. He has produced a very readable and a very entertaining book. It is difficult of course for one who can read between the lines to judge exactly what the effect of such a work will be upon a lay reader who is unacquainted with these theories. One cannot be sure that the effect would go much beyond impressing the reader with the belief that dreams might have meaning.
The reviewer thinks that the choice and the analysis of the dream in the forepart of the work, which was given to illustrate the theories and methods, is a little unfortunate. The analysis does not go deep enough. Of course the author has suggested that there are reasons why it could not, and the reviewer naturally can guess what some of those reasons must have been. However, to spend several pages in analyzing a dream, the net result of the interpretation of which is that the dreamer wishes that his friend knew a little more of internal medicine and that he might be in robust health, leaves the impression, quite contrary to the statement of the author, that dreams do deal with trivial things.