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A review by samdalefox
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
It feels crass to rate this book. How can anyone give a score hearing a person's experience of the Holocaust, and detailing their own psychiatric field of work? I have expertise and lived experience in neither. However, I have given this 5 stars nonetheless.
The book was recommended by my mental health counsellor, highlighting Frankl's finding and assertion that the only thing a person has control over, is their attitude to their circumstances. This aspect has certainly helped me in my own mental health work.
Unlike some of the other reviews, I enjoyed the second part of the book as much as the first. (I read the 80's edition). This may be because of my medical science background and interest in psychiatry. I found Frankl's way of describing his personal experiences almost objectively, quite comforting and appealed to my natural way of thinking. Although the field has developed since his writing, I found it very interesting learning about logotherapy and found it complemented my interest in existentialism. I do think some of the observations he makes are still very relevant today, especially his comments relating to existential boredom.
The first part of the book where he describes his experiences in concentration camps was, of course, difficult to read. However this is the first time I've 'enjoyed' (for lack of a better word) reading about the Holocaust. Previous historical iterations from secondary sources always had the whiff of political war propaganda to me. Frankl's lived experience retelling has no such endorsement of war. What was significant for me, was he not only described his and other's various suffering, but attempted to explain it too. E.g. Why the prisoners and guards reacted in the ways they did. How their psychology and identity was affected as well as their physical health. Frankl goes through each stage of the prisoner's psychological response to his trauma.
Overall, a harrowing, but important read. I think it has the potential to help many people. Maybe be more compassionate to others, maybe employ some logotherapy principles to their own life, maybe become more consciously opposed to war.
The book was recommended by my mental health counsellor, highlighting Frankl's finding and assertion that the only thing a person has control over, is their attitude to their circumstances. This aspect has certainly helped me in my own mental health work.
Unlike some of the other reviews, I enjoyed the second part of the book as much as the first. (I read the 80's edition). This may be because of my medical science background and interest in psychiatry. I found Frankl's way of describing his personal experiences almost objectively, quite comforting and appealed to my natural way of thinking. Although the field has developed since his writing, I found it very interesting learning about logotherapy and found it complemented my interest in existentialism. I do think some of the observations he makes are still very relevant today, especially his comments relating to existential boredom.
The first part of the book where he describes his experiences in concentration camps was, of course, difficult to read. However this is the first time I've 'enjoyed' (for lack of a better word) reading about the Holocaust. Previous historical iterations from secondary sources always had the whiff of political war propaganda to me. Frankl's lived experience retelling has no such endorsement of war. What was significant for me, was he not only described his and other's various suffering, but attempted to explain it too. E.g. Why the prisoners and guards reacted in the ways they did. How their psychology and identity was affected as well as their physical health. Frankl goes through each stage of the prisoner's psychological response to his trauma.
Overall, a harrowing, but important read. I think it has the potential to help many people. Maybe be more compassionate to others, maybe employ some logotherapy principles to their own life, maybe become more consciously opposed to war.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War
Holocaust