Books

LOVE LIES: A Journal

André, a university lecturer, lives in the real, everyday world. Yet beneath the surface of apparent comfort and ease lie unresolved anxieties and fears. One day, through the medium of a mirror, he finds himself in an alternative reality of dreams, nightmares and terror visions. Grappling with this reality does not lead him to insanity, as he thinks, but to freedom from his inner torments. He finally comes to terms with the break-up of his family and a passionate love affair that almost ended in his death.

Who is this book for?

LOVE LIES: A Journal is particularly suitable for students, tutors, supervisors, facilitators and anyone interested in bibliotherapy, counselling, mental health, psychotherapy, positive psychology and the works of Karen Horney. Or, it can simply be enjoyed as a compelling read.

Synopsis

This novel is broadly conceived in the form of a journal. It focuses on the most critical fifteen months in one man’s life. Though entirely fictional, the novel addresses everyday human concerns. Its style seeks to entertain, its content to inform and educate, and its spirit to empower and heal.

On the basic narrative level, it is simply a story about a middle-aged university lecturer, André, who is trying to come to terms with his divorce. His story takes him through many different experiences – the banality of work – the lonely life at a block of flats – the painful separation from a family, a wife and two sons – the vain search for happiness – the destructive power of love. In the introductory chapters, André finds himself reflecting on the turmoil of his immediate past. He is longing for peace and tranquillity. But his wish is not granted to him. He has set out on a journey from which there is no return.

On a deeper level, André’s story is a psychological process, a journey of discovery through his inner world, revealing to him his feelings of guilt, anxiety and fear around a failed marriage, sex, parenthood and relationships with other persons. The novel charts the various stages of André’s maturing process. Each chapter signifies a particular learning step, slowly bringing him to a greater awareness of his thoughts, feelings and actions. He goes through many inner sufferings before he reaches a degree of understanding and knowing. This enables him to turn the trials and tribulations of his life into opportunities for his personal growth. Over time, André learns to take responsibility for his thoughts, feelings and actions. Slowly, he ‘wakes up to himself’ and, in the end, outwits the forces of confusion, chaos and destruction – his personal demons – that have besieged his inner world for so long.

Where to buy a copy

ISBN-10: 095538950X
ISBN-13: 978-0955389504

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