Portnoy's Complaint
Language: English
Bildungsromans Coming of Age Families Family Fiction General Humorous Humorous Stories Jewish Jewish men Jewish men - Fiction Literary Mothers and sons Mothers and sons - Fiction Psychological Psychological fiction Romance Sex addiction Sex addicts Sex addicts - Fiction Young men Young men - Fiction
Publisher: Vintage International
Published: Feb 14, 1994
Description:
SUMMARY:
Portnoy's Complaint n. [after Alexander Portnoy (1933- )] A disorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature. Spielvogel says: 'Acts of exhibitionism, voyeurism, fetishism, auto-eroticism and oral coitus are plentiful; as a consequence of the patient's "morality," however, neither fantasy nor act issues in genuine sexual gratification, but rather in overriding feelings of shame and the dread of retribution, particularly in the form of castration.' (Spielvogel, O. "The Puzzled Penis," Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse, Vol. XXIV, p. 909.) It is believed by Spielvogel that many of the symptoms can be traced to the bonds obtaining in the mother-child relationship.With a new Afterword by the author for the 25th Anniversary edition.