Book Reviews

Book Reviews

With a long summer ahead of us, here are four intriguing reading recommendations and one viewing suggestion that explore various aspects of our everyday human experiences and challenges.

We begin with two reviews of SEA publications. The first is Dialogues on Madness and Wisdom: In Conversation with R.D. Laing (SEA Dialogues book 4) by Vincenzo Caretti. Following that is Dialogues on the Place of Creativity in Existential Therapy (SEA Dialogues book 5) by Gianfranco Buffardi and Yaqui Andres Martinez Robles. With six SEA publications now available (the latest is currently under review), this series aims to foster dialogue among a broader audience of existential therapists and writers while exploring a wide array of innovative topics. It might even inspire you, dear reader, to become a writer yourself.

The next review is on Facing Down the Furies: Suicide, the Ancient Greeks and me by Edith Hall, who finds support in the Ancient Greek plays to deal with familial suicides. It is an important book that may help people talk more openly about suicide instead of being shamed and silenced.

Following on are two reviews in the fictional realm. First is a review of the first two fictional volumes, out of a total of seven, by Solvej Balle titled On the Calculation of Volume. The book is a thought-provoking and poetic exploration and meditation on life, meaning and love, and it is filled with melancholy, hope, searching, doubt and courage. Last, I reviewed the film The Zone of Interest, directed by Jonathan Glazer, not a relaxing view but all the more important as a reminder (and call to action) to each of us in today's world. It prompted uncomfortable reflections on my/our ability to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others.

So, grab a coffee, settle in and let's explore how these ideas can help us better understand ourselves, others and the world around us. I wish you good reading/viewing this summer.

Ondine Smulders