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    Freud's Mistress
    Freud's Mistress
    Freud's Mistress
    Audiobook10 hours

    Freud's Mistress

    Written by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman

    Narrated by Suzanne Toren

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Golden Globe-winning film and television producer Karen Mack and two-time Penney-Missouri Journalism Award winner Jennifer Kaufman have collaborated on two previous novels, both of which hit the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. Based on the true-life love affair between Sigmund Freud and his sister-in-law, Freud's Mistress is a powerhouse novel fueled by psychological insight, gut-wrenching betrayal and irresistible passion.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 9, 2013
    ISBN9781470366261
    Freud's Mistress
    Author

    Karen Mack

    Karen Mack is a film and television producer who has won Golden Globe and Emmy awards. Her first novel, ‘Book Lover’, written with Jennifer Kaufman , was published in 2006.

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    Reviews for Freud's Mistress

    3.5/5

    92 ratings26 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I must admit to not knowing much about Freud when I received this book; only the generalities that I suppose most people know. I can't say my opinion was positive or negative but I can say that if the personality created for him in this book is based in fact I most assuredly would not have liked the man. Granted it was a time when women did not have much value in the minds of men and I suspect that given the little I DO know of Dr. Freud he in particular would have minimal use for them, but he did not treat his wife as a wife but rather as a brood mare. He gave little thought to her beyond what she could do for him and when she couldn't due to her illnesses - well, that was that.The book does mostly focus on Mrs. Freud's sister - she of the title. There is no actual proof of an affair, only hints and whispers left to history. (This is made clear in the note at the end.) Minna came to live with the family to help her sister and she had an intelligence that apparently her sister lacked. She also didn't have 6 children. Women with intelligence were frowned upon in these times when the choices were marry or perhaps become a ladies companion. I can only imagine how stifling it must have been for her and then she is in the presence of a man who seemed to respect her brain. It must have been intoxicating.The book was well written and I did enjoy it. Whether it happened or not we will never know. Did it make a good story? Yes, especially in the hands of this (these) author(s). The reader just need remember that it IS historical FICTION.
    • 4/5
      Freud has never been one of my favorite people from history; while I respect his genius in discovering the subconscious mind, conversion, and talk therapy, I never thought a lot of him as a person. He seemed egotistical and argumentative, dropping associates if they disagreed with him. All images I saw were of him as an older man, already bald, smoking a cigar. I knew nothing about his personal life. This historical novel shows us a younger man, one who could be charming when he wished to be. Sadly, he didn’t often wish to be. The novel is told from the POV of Minna Bernays, sister to Martha Bernays, Sigmund Freud’s wife. Minna had spent her days working variously as governess or ladies companion; when she loses her job and knows she will get no good recommendation she goes to her sister’s house to stay for awhile. While she fears she’s a financial burden, both the Freud’s assure her she’s not, especially as she takes over the care of the six children for Martha, who was still recovering from the birth of her last child. It was at this time that the intellectual Minna became close to Sigmund, who seemed to respect and value her opinions, talking with her in his home office late into the night- something he did not do with is wife, who he treated as a servant. Minna becomes enamored of Sigmund, on both mental and physical levels. With Martha either in bed in pain or busy with errands and housework all the time, it is easy to see how an affair could start even in these close quarters. Minna tries, unsuccessfully, to leave, but Sigmund soon brings her back, with her sister’s blessing. Not much is known about the real life Minna, but in the late 19th century, women didn’t have many choices in life. Women of Minna’s class would either marry or become a ladies companion or a governess, those offices which place the woman in the no-woman’s land of not being ‘good enough’ to be family but being ‘too genteel’ to be a true servant, leaving the woman with few, if any, people to associate freely with. Minna would have most likely have been lonely before she came to live with the Freuds, having had neither affection nor intellectual stimulation from her former employers. Perhaps this would have led her to fall for the first person to ask her opinion on something other than knitting or the ABCs? Or perhaps Sigmund was just that magnetic when he wished to charm someone- he’d charmed many before Minna, and would go on to charm many more, as friends, associates, and, presumably, lovers, before they disagreed with him or he got bored. The authors state right out that there is no completely solid proof Minna and Sigmund had a sexual relationship, but it was rumored during their lives and in 2006 proof was found in a resort hotel register that they had stayed there for several days as husband and wife. In those days, no upper class person would have done that just to avoid springing for a second hotel room!In some ways, I found the story wonderful. The authors evoked fin-de-siecle Vienna in sights, sounds, smells and flavors; reading the book is an immersive experience. Minna’s life at the Freud’s feels claustrophobic; I could feel her confusion as she tried to figure out the right thing to do. But the book drags in places. I’m sure that the affair is something that Minna would have agonized over, but so many words were devoted to that agonizing that it became tedious. I think the book would have been better had it been a bit shorter. I enjoyed the ending and their version of what Martha might have thought about the whole thing. Sadly, my opinion of Sigmund Freud as a human being didn’t improve- it actually got worse.
    • 3/5
      Not my favorite book but it was well-written. Freud comes off like a huge jerk, so that was fun. It held my interest.
    • 4/5
      Predictable but well written. The author's description of the period adds to the story.
    • 4/5
      An interesting historical fiction story of Sigmund Freud and his mistress Minna-his wife's sister.
      I don't want to give much about the story away. It intently held my interest and the writing was superb! I felt like I was there witnessing the whole affair. Wonderfully done!
    • 4/5
      Freud's Mistress is a novel about an affair between Sigmund Freud and his wife's sister, Minna, who lived with the Freuds for 42 years. The main characters actually existed. Minna actually lived with her sister's family, and there is a large archive of letters between Sigmund and Minna which seem to indicate that she was highly intelligent and progressive for her time. However there is no concrete evidence that an affair took place although there have been speculations. There is also a five year period where there are no letters between the two. The novel uses the general speculation about the affair, and the absense of letters, in order to explore the possibility of an affair, an opportunity to explore an idea of the lives of these characters. I found it entertaining and well-written, and I think Minna was very well drawn. The author did a good job exploring Minna's conflicting emotions, and also with placing Minna thoroughly in her time and constrained by her class and the mores of her upbringing and the society in which she lived. In short she was a smart and enlightened woman for her time, but she is not portrayed as an entirely modern woman, and this may in some ways make her a little more difficult to understand today. One of the things I particularly liked about the book were the conversations between Freud and Minna, not just about Freud's ideas, but also about literature and philosophy. These conversatons are brimming with that excitement I recall from my own youth: of the joy of intellectual discovery and new ideas, sometimes brash, sometimes completely wrong-headed but brimming with confidence, with the seductions of the mind and the world of ideas as an escape from mundane reality. And of course, the seductions of the mind, of feeling needed and wanted, can lead to other seductions as well as disappointments.
    • 3/5
      In this novel, we get to explore what may have happened between Minna and Sigmund Freud. Although there is a lot of speculation, from a historical perspective, we don’t know for sure if this affair ever happened. However, speculation in historical fiction is one of my favorite things, so I was all for this ride! Minna is a rather entertaining character, just the sort of woman I like to read about due to her progressive nature. From what I can tell based on actual accounts of her, she really was a reasonably progressive woman for her time, and I really like that. Although she did spend more time worrying about what Freud thought of her than I would have liked, but I guess a woman can only be so progressive! That all being said, I had such high hopes for Minna throughout the book, and I felt like she didn’t live up to them. Minna seemed to lose a lot of her independence as a result of her relationship with Freud, and I generally prefer more of an attitude from my heroines where they are completely willing to leave the men in their lives behind based on what they think is best for them. I didn’t see this with Minna, which made me rather sad, particularly at the end of the novel. Freud also comes across as such a selfish jerk a lot of the time, which seems about right for him based on common perception, but still not fun. It’s one of those situations where I kind of wish I could have met him in person, just to see what he was like, and find out if these ideas about him were right or not. On the whole, this wasn’t my favorite read, but it was still enjoyable and an interesting look into life before women’s suffrage.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. It tells the story of Minna. She is the sister of Martha who is married to Sigmund Freud. Minna was to be married but her fiance passed away and was forced to make a living for herself as a lady's companion and maid. When she gets released from the Duchess's home she goes and lives with Martha and Sigmund and their 6 kids. This book tells the story of a possible affair between Minna and her sister's husband. Their love for literature, philosophy and learning brings them together as friends and confidants. They eventually turn to each other as more than just friends but for comfort and love.This book was so well written that it brought you into the Freud's household where you felt you were watching everything unfold.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting book
    • 4/5
      This book was closer to 3.5 stars for me. A good read, well-written and kept my interest throughout. Although there is no proof that the well know psychiatrist Sigmund Freud had an affair with his sister-in-law, there has been speculation that it was entirely plausible.The authors take this idea and writes a book about how the affair would have started, eventually evolved and how the characters may have felt. I did really enjoy reading about the conflicting emotions that Minna, the sister-in-law, may have felt. The books starts slowly and builds up tension between Minna and Freud. It is fact that Minna wound up living with her sister's family for forty-two years, until her death.This book is not so much about the famous Freud, as it is about Minna and her feelings of betrayal, loyalty and passion.
    • 4/5
      This book just barely got four stars resting one it is easy to read and I lived the period and setting whixh is nicely portrayed. What I didn't like are the two main characters Minna Freud's sister in law and mistress and Sigmund Freud himself a shown in this book. Minna is a woman without a backbone. She cheats on her sister and seems utterly without character (just slight twinges of guilt) and then it is on to another bedding. She is like a lapdog to Freud and I wanted to scream GET A LIFE! Freud on the other hand seems less a scientist and more of a person who tries to manipulate everyone he knows by browbeating them into submission - the ultimate "player" when it come to vulnerable women.. So I am as exited as I could be for a book in which I care nothing for the central characters.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an Early Reviewer. A very interesting subject, Sigmund Freud! Minna, his sister in law, came to live with the family after she was released from her position as a ladies companion. Freud and his wife Martha had six children, so the addition of Minna to the household was an asset. A very intelligent woman, but born during a time when this particular quality was not an asset. Freud has a grand ego, and felt that he was free to do as he pleased. Minna believed he appreciated her mind, her intelligence, which might have been true, but he also had other things in mind. He led her quietly into a physical affair that Minna might have resisted had it not been for the aid of drugs. She suffered mightily from guilt but also seemed to sincerely love him. Of course this book is built on the speculation that this affair took place, but it was interesting reading just the same. There were not many choices for women at that time. It was a quiet peek into the way life was lived at that time, and makes me very grateful that I was born at this point in time! Well done and interesting. Since reading this book, I came upon the fact that Freud was barely able to escape the Nazis. When he was able to flee, he took his immediate family, Minna and his servants and left the rest of his family to perish in the extermination camps. What a sad, self serving, egotistical man he was!
    • 5/5
      this book is completely captivating. I have been a huge fan of Freuds' theories since I began learning about him during college (although, I don't believe in all of his theories-- some are just too farfetched! ). I have always been interested in learning more about Freud, and right before I learned of this book is when I discovered that he possibly had an affair with his sister-in-law Minna Bernays. This book is based on truth and facts, while remaining completely fiction. The writers did a great job of captivating the era and character descriptions. I very much enjoyed reading this book, and I look forward to readong more books about the great Dr. Sigmund Freud.
    • 4/5
      The heart of this historical novel is with Minna, who goes to live with her married sister Martha and her family of six children after resigning from yet another unsatisfying position as a lady's companion/governess. Martha's husband is Sigmund Freud,whose revolutionary theories in psycho analysis are considered shocking to "polite society."Minna has always felt Sigmund to be the one man who appreciated her keen mind and unwillingness to demur to the expectations of women her age but upon living full time with the family, her feelings become more than just friendship and it appears that his desires for her are mutual. They give in to their passions but guilt over betraying her sister and doubts regarding Sigmund's fickle nature threat to tear Minna apart in more ways than one.This collaboration between Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman is a seamless flow of insight into the heart and soul of a woman who didn't compromise in other areas of her life yet could not resist this emotionally fatal attraction. A truly thoughtful read.
    • 4/5
      Loved the aspect of this book that I got to learn about Sigmnud Freud without reading a boring biography. While some was fictionalized; there was enough for me to get know important facts about his life and his work. I very much enjoyed this well written and well researched book. The authors Karen mack and Jennifer Kaufman did an excellent job.
    • 3/5
      This is historical fiction with a capital F as it’s all based on little proof that Mrs. Freud’s sister ever had an affair with Dr. Freud. That said, the story depicted the women of the 1890’s very well: If you’re not married, you spend your days in pitiful boredom with little direction in life. Here we have Minna Bernay, the intelligent and interesting sister of Martha Freud, who is nothing more to Freud than the mother of his 6 children. Minna moves in with the Freuds to help care for the kids, and she has no interest in getting married -- her only interest is Freud. They go from intellectual companions to lovers in no time, and Martha seems clueless. I especially enjoyed reading about the formulation of Freud’s and his associates’ outlandish theories, told in and an understandable layman's language. The many sections where Minna obsessed about being a loyal sister, or being a horrible, cheating slut were a bit hard to stomach, but maybe that’s just me. 3.5 stars
    • 4/5
      I must admit to not knowing much about Freud when I received this book; only the generalities that I suppose most people know. I can't say my opinion was positive or negative but I can say that if the personality created for him in this book is based in fact I most assuredly would not have liked the man. Granted it was a time when women did not have much value in the minds of men and I suspect that given the little I DO know of Dr. Freud he in particular would have minimal use for them, but he did not treat his wife as a wife but rather as a brood mare. He gave little thought to her beyond what she could do for him and when she couldn't due to her illnesses - well, that was that.The book does mostly focus on Mrs. Freud's sister - she of the title. There is no actual proof of an affair, only hints and whispers left to history. (This is made clear in the note at the end.) Minna came to live with the family to help her sister and she had an intelligence that apparently her sister lacked. She also didn't have 6 children. Women with intelligence were frowned upon in these times when the choices were marry or perhaps become a ladies companion. I can only imagine how stifling it must have been for her and then she is in the presence of a man who seemed to respect her brain. It must have been intoxicating.The book was well written and I did enjoy it. Whether it happened or not we will never know. Did it make a good story? Yes, especially in the hands of this (these) author(s). The reader just need remember that it IS historical FICTION.
    • 5/5
      This book gets a 5 star rating from a readability perspective. While I did not always like the characters and their motivations, I still could not put it down. Freud is depicted as I had pictured him as an egocentric scholar; however, the main character is actually Minna Bernays his sister in law. It is always interesting to read about strong willed historical females within their restricted time period. Minna is educated and intelligent during a tine when softness and obedience is approved of and rewarded. She never marries due to her love for her brother in law and ultimately lives with his family after being fired from her position as a ladies companion. This is a position I can hardly imagine, and the authors do a good job of describing the emotions and associated guilt. The entire picture makes for an intriguing story.
    • 3/5
      Having requested this book from Early Reviewers I erroneously assumed that the authors had more facts in their disposal, but having read the novel and the subsequent disclosure at the end, I understand that facts did hint on the affair but barely so. Due to this, it's never easy to pass judgement on any historical fiction. However, I have to give credit to the authors who, in their note at the end of the book, are honest about not having too much information to go on. As for the style of writing, it didn't strike me as unique, but it's probably due to the dual authorship of the book. Having said that, I do appreciate all the research that has undoubtedly gone into this work, as I could glimplse a more intimate portrayal of Freud's personality and his struggle to make his way into the leading scientific circles (here, I am sure there was no lack of facts for the authors to rely on).
    • 3/5
      This book elaborated upon the recent revelation that Freud likely had an affair with his sister-in-law. However, while you get a sense of him and his needed to be adored, even thought the book is written from Minna's perspective it provides little insight into why she became involved with him.
    • 4/5
      Freud has never been one of my favorite people from history; while I respect his genius in discovering the subconscious mind, conversion, and talk therapy, I never thought a lot of him as a person. He seemed egotistical and argumentative, dropping associates if they disagreed with him. All images I saw were of him as an older man, already bald, smoking a cigar. I knew nothing about his personal life. This historical novel shows us a younger man, one who could be charming when he wished to be. Sadly, he didn’t often wish to be. The novel is told from the POV of Minna Bernays, sister to Martha Bernays, Sigmund Freud’s wife. Minna had spent her days working variously as governess or ladies companion; when she loses her job and knows she will get no good recommendation she goes to her sister’s house to stay for awhile. While she fears she’s a financial burden, both the Freud’s assure her she’s not, especially as she takes over the care of the six children for Martha, who was still recovering from the birth of her last child. It was at this time that the intellectual Minna became close to Sigmund, who seemed to respect and value her opinions, talking with her in his home office late into the night- something he did not do with is wife, who he treated as a servant. Minna becomes enamored of Sigmund, on both mental and physical levels. With Martha either in bed in pain or busy with errands and housework all the time, it is easy to see how an affair could start even in these close quarters. Minna tries, unsuccessfully, to leave, but Sigmund soon brings her back, with her sister’s blessing. Not much is known about the real life Minna, but in the late 19th century, women didn’t have many choices in life. Women of Minna’s class would either marry or become a ladies companion or a governess, those offices which place the woman in the no-woman’s land of not being ‘good enough’ to be family but being ‘too genteel’ to be a true servant, leaving the woman with few, if any, people to associate freely with. Minna would have most likely have been lonely before she came to live with the Freuds, having had neither affection nor intellectual stimulation from her former employers. Perhaps this would have led her to fall for the first person to ask her opinion on something other than knitting or the ABCs? Or perhaps Sigmund was just that magnetic when he wished to charm someone- he’d charmed many before Minna, and would go on to charm many more, as friends, associates, and, presumably, lovers, before they disagreed with him or he got bored. The authors state right out that there is no completely solid proof Minna and Sigmund had a sexual relationship, but it was rumored during their lives and in 2006 proof was found in a resort hotel register that they had stayed there for several days as husband and wife. In those days, no upper class person would have done that just to avoid springing for a second hotel room!In some ways, I found the story wonderful. The authors evoked fin-de-siecle Vienna in sights, sounds, smells and flavors; reading the book is an immersive experience. Minna’s life at the Freud’s feels claustrophobic; I could feel her confusion as she tried to figure out the right thing to do. But the book drags in places. I’m sure that the affair is something that Minna would have agonized over, but so many words were devoted to that agonizing that it became tedious. I think the book would have been better had it been a bit shorter. I enjoyed the ending and their version of what Martha might have thought about the whole thing. Sadly, my opinion of Sigmund Freud as a human being didn’t improve- it actually got worse.
    • 4/5
      I especially enjoyed this novel, if only to peek (fictional or no) into the so-called "personal" life of Freud. The only part that made me go "hmm?" was at the end, Minna's choice (don't want to ruin it). However, suffice it to say this novel is superbly written and I will definitely re-read in the future!
    • 2/5
      Hmmmm...what must it be like to sleep with Sigmund Freud? Minna Bernays probably knew, as "Freud's Mistress" proposes. I found the storyline fascinating but the characters and their dialogue did not ring true for me. Often Minna made comments that seemed out of place for 1880s Vienna. The authors also are good at presenting Minna's initial conflict, how to survive as an unmarried, intelligent woman, with no family money and no suitor prospects that are even remotely attractive. I felt her pain. Her second conflict, how to justify sleeping with her sister's husband, while living with the married couple and taking care of her nieces and nephews...whew. I guess Minna was attracted to Freud's beautiful mind, b/c as a person he seems quite boorish...not to mention the shock his theories were producing...Minna was definitely ahead of her time! The book was just 'meh' for me...I felt compelled to learn Minna's fate,and while the the authors do a good job of presenting Minna as a sympathetic character, she wasn't a very likable one. Actually, none of the characters were likable, except perhaps Jessica, whom Minna meets when she is forced to stay at a sanitarium; sadly, Jessica occupies only a few pages toward the end. "Freud's Mistress" is a terrific idea not completely realized...
    • 4/5
      In 1895, Minna Bernay finds herself without a job, a husband or a place to call home; and there is no place in respectable society at the end of the 19th century for an unmarried, opinionated, smart, independent woman. Minna's sister Martha lives in Vienna with her six children and husband, Dr. Sigmund Freud. Minna moves in with the family to help with the children and to have a place to live herself. While she has enjoyed discussing her brother-in-law's theories with him, he desires a more intimate relationship. Minna struggles to reconcile her feelings of both love and guilt. Can she betray her sister's trust? Should she deny her attraction to her brother-in-law? Can she live with her feelings of guilt for both her desires and actions?This is an insightful look at a flawed man who did not hesitate to use others for his own purposes and his relationship with his family. We see how Freud's theories reflect his own desires and relationships more than scientific fact, and how he uses these theories to promote and rationalize his position and actions, both personally and in the newly emerging field of psychology. This is an interesting read.
    • 3/5
      Some historians speculate that psychologist Sigmund Freud had an affair with his live-in sister in law, Minna. This novel imagines how this affair might have come about. I've really been enjoying historical novels based on real characters as of late, so was excited to receive an advance copy of this novel. Freud's Mistress was very well written. Conversations flowed smoothly and settings were evocatively portrayed. I wanted to like it, but I probably would not have even finished it were I not obligated to write a review. I didn't like any of the characters and found them all a bit whiney and self-indulgent which made the novel take on that tone. Minna's internal struggle between passion for Sigmund and loyalty to her sister was undoubtedly a wretched experience, but was rehashed a bit too often for my taste.
    • 5/5
      A richly imagined, historically based storyOn every page Freud’s Mistress evokes the layered sights, sounds, fashions, and aromas of late 19th century Vienna, and that alone would have kept me reading, but I was drawn to the sensitively imagined story of two real sisters just as much. As it is for Jane Austen’s female characters, there are not a lot of life choices for Martha Freud and her sister Minna Bernays. Martha is financially comfortable, but she’s overwhelmed by the job of caring for her unruly children and stuck in a loveless marriage to Sigmund Freud, a man who doesn’t respect her and whose theories she finds repugnant. As an intelligent but unmarried woman Minna is forced to support herself as a governess or a ladies’ companion, a precarious life that puts her in an awkward, between castes position--not a master but not quite one of the servants either. When principled insubordination causes Minna to lose both her job and living situation, Martha and Freud take her in, and Minna begins to care for and become attached to her many nieces and nephews. Minna doesn’t agree with all of Freud’s provocative new theories that put sexual disfunction at the root of every problem, but unlike her sister she is fascinated not repelled by his ideas and wants to discuss them. Her hunger to be a participant in the world of ideas sets the stage for the attraction between Minna and Freud--an attraction Minna resists since it would be a betrayal of her sister. Though Freud could be an unlikely love interest, self-centered and sometimes cruel, the excitement he stirs in in the minds of those around him make him believably charismatic. I love the first two books by this author pair, and though Freud’s Mistress is a very different type of tale all three share intellectually rich stories, appealing settings, complex characterizations, and writing so beautiful it seems to glow. It makes me think there may be a benefit to having a writing partner because I found the same qualities in the Twisted Lit series by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes.