Description
The Passions of the Mind by Irving Stone is a biographical novel about Sigmund Freud, the pioneering neurologist whose theories transformed the study of the human mind and human behaviour.
Set largely in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Vienna, the novel follows Freud’s intellectual journey as he challenges established medical beliefs and investigates the hidden forces shaping human motivation. Abandoning the security of a conventional medical career, he pursues groundbreaking research into the unconscious mind and human sexuality, often facing professional rejection and social condemnation for his controversial ideas.
Stone spent six years researching and writing the book, drawing on accounts from people who knew Freud and worked with him. Although the narrative is fictionalised to convey Freud’s thoughts and emotions, it is grounded in extensive historical research and includes a glossary and bibliography. The result offers insight into both Freud’s personal struggles and the development of psychoanalysis.
Ideal for readers interested in psychology, the history of ideas and historically researched novels about influential figures, The Passions of the Mind brings the life and work of one of modern psychology’s most controversial pioneers into focus.
