Essential Readings from the Melanie Klein Archives

Reviews / Votes

"The publication of this volume of papers from the Klein archive, together with critical discussion by notable Klein scholars, is a most exciting event.Every chapter is of interest, not only for its historical significance, but also because Klein's clinical and theoretical thinking is further explored in the excellent commentaries and related to later developments in psychoanalysis. I recommend it most warmly. It forms an essential and impressive part of the array of recent books about Klein which attest to the continuing fertility of her legacy." --Margaret Rustin, Honorary Consultant Child Psychotherapist, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, co-author of Reading Klein "The publication of this volume of papers from the Klein archive, together with critical discussion by notable Klein scholars, is a most exciting event. Every chapter is of interest, not only for its historical significance, but also because Klein's clinical and theoretical thinking is further explored in the excellent commentaries and related to later developments in psychoanalysis. I recommend it most warmly. It forms an essential and impressive part of the array of recent books about Klein which attest to the continuing fertility of her legacy."

Margaret Rustin, Honorary Consultant Child Psychotherapist, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, co-author of Reading Klein

"This volume adds significantly to our understanding of Melanie Klein, her thinking and her internal world. We see her as a child, powerless to prevent the losses inflicted on her family; longing for knowledge and for the power to reduce suffering. We learn of Klein's early defiance, a hint of the powerful thinker whose radical ideas were later to spark fierce debate across the psychoanalytic world. We are shown too, a softer, more vulnerable and less certain Klein. Melanie Klein's humanity shines out of the chapters in this book."

Penelope Garvey, Training Analyst British Psychoanalytical Society

"Milton's book is a remarkable collection of previously unpublished archival and research material - a substantial contribution to Kleinian scholarship. Through it we come to know Klein and her work far more deeply. Devoting her life to psychoanalysis, Klein struggled through challenging and dark times. But, by the end of her life, she knew that her work had been understood and would survive. This book is engaging and powerful; it is a complex account of Melanie Klein, a truly brilliant and creative innovator and leader in the psychoanalytic movement."

Kyra Minninger, is a board certified psychiatrist in San Francisco, California. To read this review in full, please see the following: Minninger, K. (2021) Essential readings from the Melanie Klein Archives: Original papers and critical reflections: edited by Jane Milton, London and New York, Routledge and Taylor & Francis Group, 2020, $46.95, ISBN: 978-0-367-33790-2. International Journal of Psychoanalysis 102:1064-1068