Let's talk about Freud

Want to know a little more about Freud? Or just looking for an excuse to depart from your coursework? I know the feeling! Here are a few suggestions to get you procrastination happy. The best part? They’re all to be found in our very own Boole Library:Dr William Saunders Hallaran M.D., Practical Observations on the Causes and Cure of Insanity (1818) For those interested in the running of the local Cork asylum before its closure, this is a tract written on the treatment of mental health in that looming presence in Sunday’s Well, Cork City. Surprisingly more care focused than the horror stories which have emerged over the years would suggest. But give it a read and decide who you believe! (could lead to controversy) (Available for free on google books)Josef Breuer and Sigmund Freud, Studies On Hysteria 1893-1895 (1895) If you are interested in Freud’s works, then this is a great place to start. Much of Freud’s lecture papers are extremely complex whereas this initial foray into psychoanalysis is written much like a series of diary entries. Very interesting even if you don’t believe a word. Charles Bernheimer and Claire Kahane, In Dora’s Case; Freud, Hysteria, Feminism (1990)This is by far the most enjoyable criticism I have read on Freud’s case studies. It is a response to the infamous ‘Dora’ case study and the original case study itself is included. It is not Freud’s treatment methods that will keep you glued to the pages however but the figure of Dora herself who is a fascinating, and unpredictable woman throughout. Highly recommend!Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar, The Madwoman In The Attic (2000)If you really love the classics and are interested in any way in psychology, then this will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Seriously! Brendan Kelly, Hearing Voices: A History of Psychiatry in Ireland (2016)An excellent, comprehensive read. It also contains helpful extracts of surveys, governor reports and hospital correspondence.