I knew NOTHING about Melanie Klein when I plunged into this reading, but this is due to the fact that I have been trying to get ahead of my university syllabus. I'll be honest, I've never been too fond of the Introducing series -- I don't know if it is the images, hand drawn and eye-catching as they are, or something else. I do believe this series is sharp at linking the personal lives of the world's greatest minds together with their work, providing rich insight into the own inner workings of these individuals in relation to their perspectives and achievements.

I find that her theories are a tad complicating, although fascinating. I did not really care for her theories concerning child development -- I will not lie, a partial reason is that I found them to be too difficult for me to understand thoroughly. I very much preferred her views on coping stages for depression and loss, and she seemed to reflect these stages herself in her personal life.

As for another confession (what is up with me today?), I will have to say that I have difficulty swallowing these older theories of child psychology when they naturally hold no conversations concerning gay parenting. Or single parenting for that matter! And now that mothers are lightened slightly of their breast-feeding responsibilities through feeding their infants using bottles more frequently, I do not know how much credibility Klein's work holds in the modern day. And does the breast-feeding of a wet-nurse carry the same psychological impacts on the child as the "original", birthing mother?

The book itself is approachable and can be read in two or three sittings with little effort. The drawings are bold and snarky, typical of the Introducing series, and make for a pleasant touch, though I am unsure whether or not reading this book is the best way to approach Klein's theories.

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Introducing Melanie Klein explains Klein's work, illustrating her somewhat startling discoveries. Klein has become a major influence in psychoanalysis, and she is also an important figure in many academic fields within the human sciences.