Postcards from the End of the World: Child Abuse in Freud's Vienna

by Larry Wolff

A look at the darker realities of life in fin-de-siecle Vienna focuses on two cases of child murder and two of child abuse

275 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1988

Reviews

[Steve]

Whilst the blurb claims that the book focuses on these high profile child abuse cases, the author seems desperate to take any excuse to write about anything else. Long, rambling diversions into the careers and ancestry of any public figure who can be referenced along with lengthy descriptions of Viennese life and culture are occasionally punctuated by short passages on the abuse cases that the book is supposedly about. Coming to this from a true crime rather than Viennese history interest, I was bored and frustrated into a DNF. If 'Freud's Vienna' interests you this may be your thing but if you were interested in these crimes primarily, forget it.

[Sean Chick]

Great subject matter but truly deadening and confusing prose. It is like reading an instruction manual written in an opium den.

[Liam Ostermann]

Brilliant, provocative and essential reading for anyone who is interested in the Viennese Belle Epoque. It is not a 'true crime book' - really do I have to point that out?! - it is portrait of a city and a culture out of which so much of the twentieth century would emerge. Maybe you have to be a little bit in love with 'mittel europa' to really enjoy this book. Well I am hopelessly lost in that world any can never get enough. I adored it and recommend with enthusiasm.

[Klara]

I see people criticizing the writing, but I honestly didn't mind. Although not the easiest read, I genuinely believe that this book deserves a lot more recognition. What a subject! So many hours were put into this that I appreciated any details added, such as paragraphs on Viennese life back then - super underrated book.