Lisa and David / Jordi / Little Ralphie and the Creature

by Theodore Isaac Rubin

Drawing on more than thirty years' experience as a practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Rubin shows the reader the heartrending and hope-filled stories of emotionally disturbed children as they struggle to make it through each day.

Along with two classic stories in the literature of psychology, Lisa and David and Jordi, Dr.. Rubin has now added Little Ralphie and the Creature. Together they demonstrate the power of love and its ability to heal.

Meet these four extraordinary young people as they search for a place and time in the world where is it safe to be themselves.

David: Extremely intelligent, with extraordinary abilities in math, physics, and chess. He is passionately interested in clocks. he cannot bear to be touched, in petrified of germs and human contact. Suffers overwhelming panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Lisa: A schizophrenic who must constantly speak in singsong rhymes to avoid losing herself to Muriel--her moody, brooding, scowling, silent other self.

Jordi: Schizophrenic, with autistic tendencies. He's afraid of garbage cans, all garbage cans, because he believes them to be ears. Ears that will hear him. Only his "jiggler"--a doorknob tied to a long string--can offer him an comfort or protection.

Little Ralphie: Actue schizophrenic reaction--catatonic type. Ralphie hides in alternate realties to escape his unbearable pain.

Genres: Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1998

About the author

Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D., has served as president of the American Institute of Psychoanalysis and is the author of thirty books, including The Angry Book, Lisa and David, Jordi, The Winner's Notebook, and Lisa and David Today. His books have been translated all over the world. He lives and practices psychiatry in New York City.

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

"David and Lisa" and "Jordi" were four star stories for me. In high school, I played Dr. Alan White in a staged version of the former and had fond memories of the play. This is what caused me to read this collection, as well as my persistent interest with the subject matter.

All of these stories illustrate the psychiatrist author's passion to compassionately understand his young patients while also championing his belief in the healing power of positive human relationships. At times, it seems the author is perhaps being overly optimistic about the breakthroughs his characters have with their ever-patient, non-manipulative, easy-tempered, loving doctors. But I'm inclined to believe they aren't too gross a fictionalization because of the author's psychiatric background.

"David and Lisa" kind of spells out the resolution and some of David's inner conflict, but this didn't keep me from enjoying it. Simultaneously, this story is quite spare in other ways, which aids its readability. It is interesting how the reader clearly understands David's recovery while Lisa's is less spelled out.

"Jordi," on the other hand, does not spell it all out, instead tossing the reader into a dark forest with a skeptical trail of bread crumbs. (It's worth following!) The story is a blurry picture that slowly comes into focus. And this is the author's portrait of Jordi's schizophrenia. It is scary and confusing. Some of the lessons Sally (Jordi's doctor) shares with Jordi give the reader a clear idea of what some of the hurdles are to this disease.

As for "Little Ralphie and the Creature," I found it quite difficult to follow at first, and, when I did figure out what was going on, the story didn't hold my interest. The doctor character in this story was the weakest of the three. The struggles of the patient are perhaps the toughest to overcome, but the way it was written, in addition to being difficult to follow, seemed too simplistic: the author seemed to be saying the character chose to be where he was by putting up impenetrable walls, conscious of it in one form or another the whole time. I'm not the psychiatrist, but it seemed like wishful thinking on the part of the author regarding this character (inspired by a past patient).

From "Little Ralphie and the Creature": "The thought that he needed kinship more than therapy stayed with her. Is that what we all need? she asked herself."

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I decided to pick this up on a whim just to have a physical book to read while sitting outside. My aunt had to read this for a class she took and she gave it to me, but it definitely didn't catch my interest right away. In fact, I kind of regretted even adding it to my tbr, since I tend to try to read the books and give them a shot before unhauling them. I basically I decided to read it now because it's short and I wanted to see if it would interest me or if I should dnf it so I could reduce my tbr pile. I was surprised that I got into it, but I'm not sure I totally understood everything. I have no background in psychology so it was a bit more difficult for me to understand I think, but I did still enjoy it. Even so, I don't think this is ever something I would want to reread, at least not in the near future, so I probably won't keep it.

I really wouldn't consider this nonfiction, since the stories themselves are fiction. While the book may be discussing real mental illnesses, the framework is fictional. Little Ralphie and the Creature was inspired by a real patient but since none of the stories are actual accounts from real people, I would not classify this as nonfiction. This book consists of three stories about young people who are in a psychiatric facility. Most of them seem to have schizophrenia, although each person's story is different. I like all three stories, though my favorite was David and Lisa. I would probably say Little Ralphie was my second favorite, and Jordi would be third.

[Constance McKee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a friend in order to help me write about people with mental illness. It consists of three short stories featuring different patients who are being treated in a private long-term psychiatric hospital. The hospital staff seem to interact closely with the patients all day for years; this would be very unusual today. However, these are very sick children and teenagers, who seem to improve with this sort of treatment. I was touched by the sadness of their lives, but otherwise found it hard to connect with the characters or the doctor. Although fiction, the stories read more like non-fiction. I didn't enjoy the read, but I learned more about how to describe the thoughts of the seriously mentally ill.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read Lisa and David story so I cannot comment on the book as a whole. I bought this book explicitly for the David and Lisa story after growing up hearing about it from my mother. It was very different from what I expected as I was under the impression it was a romance. Although a relationship is forming, you can't say whether it will be a strong friendship or something more. It is written as though the reader is reviewing session notes from the psychologist. It was an interesting read but nothing that particularly moved me in any way although it gave insight into early methods of working with adolescents with special needs.

[Liane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Three separate stories by a long practicing psychiatrist. Two written in the early 1960s and the last in 1990s. Inherently, patient confidentiality would preclude these being accounts of actual patients, but the stories provide insight to the layperson about the inner thoughts of schizophrenia, psychosis, autism, dissociative personality, as well as a therapist/doctor’s observations.

A very quick read. No idea where this book suggestion came from, but very worthy.

[Teresa Orlandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gets confusing. They jump back and forth in the last chapter.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa. I can't imagine living like this. I guess I'm great full I'm neurotypical

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Ralphie and The Creature was by far my favorite, but I also loved David and Lisa. I was not as big a fan of Jordi, though some aspects were more defined than in the other stories. The characters and their mental illnesses are illuminated in such a way that the characters seem very real, and also very complex, multilayered beings. The stories are touching without being cutesy and without a drop of self-indulgence. In a purely aesthetic sense, the mental illnesses of these subjects are beautifully eerie but not patronizing in regards to them as people. Ralphie's fantasies in particular, of his "lives" as an ant and a whale, are fascinating and inspiring. However, I did think that these stories piggyback off the same ideas and therefore can become tiring. There are also tons of leading questions.

[Lacey Losh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stories is touching, and not as disturbing as you may expect to get a glimpse into a schizophrenic mind. I loved that the central theme of the stories, showing therapists giving extra attention and care, helped them to break through and relate to their patients.

This is a quick read.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting reading in the field of abnormal psych, etc.

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14576012