Jealousy

Library Journal

For Friday, first learning, then writing, about a problem is a way of solving it. She is herself a jealous woman, she says, and in this book she probes the fear of loss of love, envy, and power, because in her mind the three are inextricably mixed. Many of her insights come from her reading of psychoanalytic works, particularly those of Melanie Klein, others come from discussions with friends and colleagues. She describes infantile envy and rage, the raw jealousy of young siblings, how men and women regulate their lives to avoid the lessons of jealousy learned in childhood, and how love and gratitude can overcome envy. Friday's reputation makes this a necessary purchase for most libraries, but readers who do not share the author's interest in jealousy may find the book rather heavy going. Margaret Allen, M.L.S., formerly with Bennington Free Lib., Vt.