Mayhem Paperback – May 1, 2006

I found Christopher Bollas's last novella, "Mayhem", from his highly acclaimed trilogy to be stimulating both intellectually and emotionally. Like all of his work it was riveting, but unlike his more academic work I found it extremely funny while dense with meaning .... much like a highly significant dream. -The entire trilogy was a very effective, unique and creative channel for communicating psychoanalytic ideas.

Christopher Bollas' third novella, Mayhem, is a wonderfully funny and poignant commentary on life, as seen through the eyes of a curious and sometimes bumbling psychoanalyst. His adventures highlight the uniquely human and everyday absurdities we all face.As during his first two novellas, Dark at the End of the Tunnel, and I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing, I would laugh out loud at his aptly named charaters, and the situations the psychoanalyst finds himself in or creates for himself. Even in the face of humor and absurdities, the ideas Bollas grapples with left me pondering life, death, art, therapy, and human connection.All three novellas are highly entertaining and thought provoking. Whether you are a therapist, a patient, or an avid reader, I think you will enjoy Mayhem, and will find it lingers on - consciously and unconsciously.