Love's Executioner

By: Irvin D. Yalom

Narrated by: C.M. Carlson

The collection of 10 absorbing tales by master psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom uncovers the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter. In recounting his patients' dilemmas, Yalom not only gives us a rare and enthralling glimpse into their personal desires and motivations but also tells us his own story as he struggles to reconcile his all-too-human responses with his sensibility as a psychiatrist. Not since Freud has an author done so much to clarify what goes on between a psychotherapist and a patient.

The audio version of the book includes an exclusive interview with Dr. Yalom.

©1989 Irvin Yalom (P)2013 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Educational story-telling win!

I wasn't sure this book would hold my attention, although I love the subject. I was wrong. The client stories, and Yalom's sharing of what these brought up for him, and reflections on what he learned were absorbing. It's excellent nonfiction for those with an interestest in psychology or counseling, and a great learning tool for those doing this work.

The only downside was the production quality was truly terrible and distracting. The stories are a bit intense and have really profound endings that deserve a moment. However, there isn't even a normal pause at the end. Generally, when starting new chapters, Audible does a good job of inserting a bit of a break, even if just one or two seconds. The lack of transition in this recording was like one long run on sentence. The last word of the chapter was barely out of the narrator's mouth when the start of the next chapter began. It was jarring, and I often had to pause the book and give myself a moment.

There were also obvious splices where words were inserted later, so the entire flow and tone of the narration would jump on a word. This may have been because the narrator pronounced so many of the psychology terms incorrectly, but they didn't do a very smooth fix. It wasn't awful, just something that I noticed as slightly distracting.

Great novel about psychotherapy.

Loved to listen to this novel. The story does show it was written 30 years ago but the themes are relevant to today's culture.

Raw. Real. Refreshing.

Raw. Real. Refreshing. Thank you for such an amazing work. This meant a lot to a new Therapist starting on this journey in her middle age.

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

The saying, “You can’t make this stuff up” lives in the cases Irvin D. Yalom shares with us. Considering that not much action happens in most of the stories, each has its own way of reaching out and touching you, deeply. Some stories don’t just touch, they grab and hold on. We all, each of us, struggle. In excellent narrative form, Yalom consistently weaves this thread throughout and between the stories. This connected commiseration binds the reader/listener to the perspectives of both the therapist and his patients, while it also keeps the reader/listener in full appreciation of the art of narrative, simply for the sake of story, which in this collection happens to be true and, as such, more intriguing.

Please note, I did not pay attention to the narrator’s by line before engaging in the listen— I know, shame on me. The certainty that the voice in my ear was author Irvin D. Yalom remained fully in tact until the writing of this review. Narrator C.M. Carlson speaks the trials in this book with the ease and connectedness of a person who has known firsthand knowledge of and experience with each patient. Carlson delivers a quintessential voiceover experience— one that is free of a grating voice; over dramatization; insufficient pitch or enunciation; poor or non-existent character distinction; and most difficult of all (in my humble opinion), detectible gaps between story and narrator. I dropped a star because in several areas, extraneous background noise injects itself into the production. Had the noise been more strategically placed, it would have worked well as chapter markers, which was exactly what I thought it was at first. The noise occurs more frequently in the first few stories than the latter. It took me a while to figure out that the rather jilting interruptions were jet engines. This is another prime example of why Audible should add an “Editing” or “Production” rating category. Since there is none, and because the likelihood that Carlson was aware of his proximity to an airport and the correlating noise level, I’m knocking off what could have been a perfect narration score.

A must read for therapists/therapists in training

As a psychology doctoral student, I’m so grateful that finally, towards the end of my training, I’ve found a therapist who I resonate with so much. Up until this point, I had no clear idea what my theoretical orientation was, but now I feel confident that I am and aspire to be an existentialist. This story IS a story and I found myself vividly picturing the characters. Yet, it was also very educational and helped me understand what and how existential therapy is. I thought the narration was good too, and lastly, I appreciated the interview with Dr. Yalom himself at the very end.

Ever wonder what being a shrink was like?

Irving Yalom masterly creates the feelings and thoughts of a psychiatrist and the reactions from the people he deals with. The patients come alive and the problems they suffer from are tangible and intense. You witness their changes as they interact with Yalom over years. Granted he chose these clients for a reason. The fact that they represented a significant challenge and although not all got better there is a dynamic interaction that is amazing and self-evident for anyone who has been a therapist for a significant amount of time. Well worth reading.

Amazing Book

As a therapist, I think this is a book that is a must have for any collection.

This book is amazing

After listening to chapter 1 I couldn't stop. I highly recommend this to anybody.

what an absolute..

*absolutely beautiful piece of writing. So human, so honest, and so well read. One of my best purchases to date.

Great book for young psychotherapists

Yalom’s writing is so encapsulating. The various tories really draw you in. Each one presents a narrative format of key considerations in client issues, countertransference, and ethical considerations.