Myths and Mysteries of Same-Sex Love

by Christine Downing

Overview

"Myths and Mysteries of Same-Sex Love makes a powerful statement about the realities of gay and lesbian psyche. A gay and lesbian psychic perspective may at first be startling, but once examined, it proves to be unforgettable."
-The Advocate

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780595388851
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/29/2006
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d)

Editorial Reviews

Downing's book is a critical analysis of same-sex love throughout history, an attempt to discover hidden information about homosexuality. She shows that ``homosexuality'' is in fact an illusion, a category poorly defined by 19th-century psychologists. By analyzing the writings of Freud, Jung, Foucault, and others, Downing draws surprising conclusions that add up collectively to a far different historical picture of lesbians and gay men than the one we assume. She notes, for instance, that ``Freud's own writings reveal a rather different understanding of homosexuality than that usually attributed to psychoanalysis.'' Downing concludes by examining the dynamics of same-sex love between Greek deities and discussing the homoerotic content of works by Plato and Sappho. Though specialized, a useful work for general collections.-- Kevin M. Roddy, Oakland P.L., Cal.

Library Journal