Irvin D. Yalom's novel intricately weaves the lives of two towering figures of late 19th-century Vienna: philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and pioneering psychoanalyst Josef Breuer. Through a fictional meeting between these historical personalities, the narrative explores the birth of psychotherapy, the complexities of obsession, and the profound struggle for meaning in human existence. The story, though a product of imagination, offers a thoughtful meditation on desire, suffering, and the transformative power of self-understanding, making it both a compelling psychological drama and a philosophical treatise.

• Therapeutic dialogue as mutual transformation: The novel posits that...
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