The Schopenhauer Cure

FromnovelistandmasterpsychotherapistIrvinYalom,authorofLyingontheCouchandWhenNietzscheWept,comestheworld'sfirstaccurategroup-therapynovel,amesmerizingstoryoftwomen'ssearchformeaning.Atonetimeoranother,allofushavewonderedwhatwe'ddointhefaceofdeath.Suddenlyconfrontedwithhisownmortalityafteraroutinecheckup,distinguishedpsychotherapistJuliusHertzfeldisforcedtoreexaminehislifeandwork.Hashereallymadeanenduringdifferenceinthelivesofhispatients?Andwhataboutthepatientshe'sfailed?Whathashappenedtothem?Nowthatheiswiserandriper,canherescuethemyet?ReachingbeyondthesafetyofhisthrivingSanFranciscopractice,JuliusfeelscompelledtoseekoutPhilipSlate,whomhetreatedforsexaddictionsometwenty-threeyearsearlier.Atthattime,Philip'sonlymeansofconnectingtohumanswasthroughbriefsexualinterludeswithcountlesswomen,andJulius'stherapydidnotchangethat.HemeetswithPhilip,whoclaimstohavecuredhimself—byreadingthepessimisticandmisanthropicphilosopherArthurSchopenhauer.MuchtoJulius'ssurprise,PhiliphasbecomeaphilosophicalcounselorandrequeststhatJuliusprovidehimwiththesupervisoryhoursheneedstoobtainalicensetopractice.Inreturn,PhilipofferstotutorJuliusintheworkofSchopenhauer.Juliushesitates.HowcanPhilippossiblybecomeatherapist?Heisstillthesamearrogant,uncaring,self-absorbedpersonhehadalwaysbeen.Infact,ineverywayheresembleshismentor,Schopenhauer.ButeventuallytheystrikeaFaustianbargain:JuliusagreestosupervisePhilip,providedthatPhilipfirstjoinshistherapygroup.JuliusishopingthatsixmonthswiththegroupwilladdressPhilip'smisanthropyandthatbybeingpartofacircleoffellowpatients,hewilldeveloptherelationshipskillsnecessarytobecomeatherapist.Philipentersthegroup,butheismoreinterestedineducatingthemembersinSchopenhauer'sphilosophy—whichheclaimsisallthetherapyanyoneshouldneed—thanheisintheirindividualproblems.SoonJuliusandPhilip,usingverydifferenttherapeuticapproaches,arecompetingfortheheartsandmindsofthegroupmembers.IsthisgoingtobeJulius'sswansong—asplinteredgroupandyearsofgoodworkdownthedrain?Orwillallthemembers,includingPhilip,findawaytorisetotheoccasionthatbringswithitthepotentialforextraordinarychange?InTheSchopenhauerCure,IrvinYalomelegantlyweavesthetruestoryofSchopenhauer'spsychologicallifethroughoutthenarrative,knittingtogetherfactandfictiontoformacompellinglyreadabletale.