The Untouched Key: Tracing Childhood Trauma in Creativity and Destructiveness

by Alice Miller

Book Overview

Drawing on her discoveries that human beings are not innately destructive but are made that way, the bestselling author of The Drama of the Gifted Child delivers "a capsule social history of childrearing and its effects that could change the world" (Boston Globe).

As in her former books, Alice Miller again focuses on facts. She is as determined as ever to cut through the veil that, for thousands of years now, has been so...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385267649
• ISBN13: 9780385267649
• Release Date: February 1991
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Extraordinary Insight

In The Untouched Key, the great psychiatrist Alice Miller has written another penetrating work about the manifestation of subconscious experiences into the conscious world. As far as I am concerned, most of the more recent modern writers on the subject have little to add to works like this one. Here is a highly respected and successful therapist, who went out on a limb and confessed to her colleagues, at a time when she could have been basking in the glory of seniority, that she finally realized she only went into the field to learn how to heal her own pain; and then had the courage to withdraw her membership from psyciatric associations once she realized their hypocrisy (which she took full responsibility for in herself, as well). In this very fine but brief work, Alice Miller studies pivotal works of art and compares their content with the life stories of their creators. The resulting analysis is impeccably true-to-life and highly plausible. She does not trivialize art in doing so, but makes a sound case for how artistic expression could be the great liberator of mankind, and brings us to even greater respect of the artists she discusses. Whether they knew it or not (probably not?) their unrestrained creativity is presented as a gift to teach and inspire us all, subconsciously or consciously, whether or not we choose to analyze it ourselves.

Demystifying Childhood

This is one of the most important books you could ever read. It takes the world of childhood to a place you will never forget. As Miller walks you through her interpretations of the lives and self expression of Keaton, Nietzsche, Picasso, Kollwitz and others, you will learn intuitively how to interpret things the way she does. There is a loss of innocence in this process so it is a kind of initiation which comes to the depths of your soul. Your life will be much richer for this knowlege and your understanding of children and the inner child of every adult you know will be that much riper. Once you have read this book, you will wonder how you could ever have been so DEAF and so DUMB and so BLIND!!

Alice Through the looking glass

I think it is time that ALice Miller recieve the credit due her for her enormous efforts in uncovering coded childhood trauma. Her tireless work has had an transformative and empowering impact on my life and the way I view my childhood and children. In this book Alice uncovers what some people want to view as a "masterpieces" of "ART". "What is really going on here?"she asks. "Look deeper..what is this artist trying to communicate". At times Alice observes and brings to light that the artist is screaming. THis book is SO important!