The Hamlet Syndrome: Overthinkers Who Underachieve

by Andrew Goldblatt and Adrienne Miller

Hamlet's dilemma to be or not to be is translated for the five types of Hamlets today--the I-have-not-yet-begun-to-fight, the Hippie, the Perpetual Student, the Artist, and the Dropout. For an estimated 10 million sufferers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688078516
• ISBN13: 9780688078515
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Hamlet Syndrome

The book was in very good shape. The dust jacket was fine. The seller shipped the item very quick. I highly recommend this seller. AAAAA+++++

Hamelt Sydrome

I have purchased at least 30 copies of "The Hamlet Syndrome" throughout the year. It is a thought provoking and well-written book. I constantly have read the book to examine personal Halmet traits as well as to view signs amongst friends and family. I am purchasing a copy for my Ph.d, JD, MBA, Boyfriend because he can't borrow mine.

Still Top-Notch 15 Years Later

I first read 'Hamlet Syndrome' just before I graduated from university in the year 2000. It took a lot of work to find the book, but it was an immensely rewarding read. I'm a 20-something now, and re-read the book on occasion, especially now as Reagan has just passed away. Incidentally, the Reagan years of the 80's formed the backdrop of that book.I can see myself in many pages of the 'Hamlet Syndrome'. It is a truly inspirational read that is a metaphor for my own life. I agree with the authors that there is no 'cure' for this syndrome, no 'happily ever after' ending as it were. This is ironically quite reassuring, as Hamlet's role of an outsider brings fresh perspective and depth of meaning to this confused world we live in.For myself I can say that reading this book really helped me get off my butt and start taking action to realize my dreams. I can happily say I started a career right after graduation that combines the best of heart and dollar. I've been teaching conversational English and IELTS to adults and teens in Shanghai, China for the past 3 years. Working and living abroad is rewarding from the heart, and the money here is excellent in local terms. I believe life is cyclical. It is so interesting to read the accounts of Hamlets living under the material 'bliss' of the Reagan era. Right now in Shanghai, the economic boom of this decade parallels the 80's immensely. Despite all the dollar-chasing, I see many miserable people stuck in jobs they can't stand, not to mention gut-wrenching poverty in the midst of it all. Even so, just like the 80's, you can feel pretty isolated by not buying into the materialism. All things considered, this book was the best I've ever read, and I can't thank the authors enough. Please read it!

To be or not to be.....

This book would help all us overthinkers realize that life is not fair. I would recommend this book to anyone who must reflect on life and what it really all means.

Good News, Bad News: We are not alone.

The Hamlet Syndrome is a bittersweet confirmation of what many of us have suspected for years. There are, according to the authors, millions of us who are (for the most part, quite happily) isolated. Millions, of course, could be as little as two. But even two million of us would mean that none of us can think of ourselves as "one in a million."Like A. Whitney Brown said one Saturday Night live (roughly), "It's hard to be an individual in China, a place that has a billion people. If you are a one-in-a-million type of guy in China, that means there are a thousand other guys just like you."Fortunately, so to speak, the book was not a bestseller. The last thing we need to hear is that we are "common." One of the small comforts of being afflicted with the Hamlet Syndrome is the special feeling of self-respect we derive from being "peculiarly unfit" for the "normal" society.I would love to hear from any other fans of this book, especially from "A reader from USA , October 6, 1998."