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Overview
Originally published in 1988, Anthony Storr's enlightening meditation on the creative individual's need for solitude has become a classic.
Solitude was seminal in challenging the established belief that "interpersonal relationships of an intimate kind are the chief, if not the only, source of human happiness." Indeed, most self-help literature still places relationships at the center of human existence. Lucid and lyrical, Storr's book cites numerous examples of brilliant scholars and artists — from Beethoven and Kant to Anne Sexton and Beatrix Potter — to demonstrate that solitude ranks alongside relationships in its impact on an individual's well-being and productivity, as well as on society's progress and health. But solitary activity is essential not only for geniuses, says Storr; the average person, too, is enriched by spending time alone.
For fifteen years, readers have found inspiration and renewal in Storr's erudite, compassionate vision of human experience.
British psychologist Anthony Storr explores the positive aspects of being alone and how that "aloneness" can kindle extraordinary creativity. Solitude focuese on the pleasures of being by ourselves and shows how enriching time spent in our own company can be.
Synopsis
Originally published in 1988, Anthony Storr's enlightening meditation on the creative individual's need for solitude has become a classic.
Solitude was seminal in challenging the established belief that "interpersonal relationships of an intimate kind are the chief, if not the only, source of human happiness." Indeed, most self-help literature still places relationships at the center of human existence. Lucid and lyrical, Storr's book cites numerous examples of brilliant scholars and artists — from Beethoven and Kant to Anne Sexton and Beatrix Potter — to demonstrate that solitude ranks alongside relationships in its impact on an individual's well-being and productivity, as well as on society's progress and health. But solitary activity is essential not only for geniuses, says Storr; the average person, too, is enriched by spending time alone.
For fifteen years, readers have found inspiration and renewal in Storr's erudite, compassionate vision of human experience.
Publishers Weekly
Taking Goya, Kafka, Trollope, Kant and others as examples, the author links the capacity to be alone with self-discovery and becoming aware of one's deepest needs and feelings. ``Storr's celebration of creative solitude is a counterbalance to the chorus of self-help books extolling interpersonal relationships,'' wrote PW . (June)