Jana's Reviews > Déjame que te cuente

Based on this book, translation, ''Let me tell you a story'', I got an impression that Jorge Bucay is trying to be South American guru of popular psychology. In this book, guru of Gestalt psychotherapy and philosophy. It was like he was trying to be bookish Sean Maguire from 'Good Will Hunting' but he failed. At least for me.

Jorge Bucay wrote this book in gestalt mannerism, meaning, Bucay is a real Argentinean psychotherapist and he wanted us, me, the reader to get in contact with myself, using autosuggestion as a tool. Which is of course basic thing of any self analysis, but I found his stories quite shallow and too general. Yes, all of his stories have one intention – using warm connotations, fables and parabolas, symbolism from ancient cultures, countries and religions ... rather than cold ''psycho'' expressions to approach masses – crowd.

Which is ok if your inner world is a land not yet discovered, and if you are disconnected with yourself and if you need instant help. Something soothing that will tell you, you are not alone. Which is again, something we all can relate to. Nobody wants to be psychologically special (this sounds dumb :), we all need to have and we want comrades during our crises.

I am not trying to diminish Bucay, but I heard so much about this book and now I'm really disappointed. He used many anecdotes and situations which everybody has in life – problems with work, partners, lovers, friends and family ... problems with our obligations, duties, what we want, what we need, what we have, and of course, how we deal emotionally and how we project these things outside - in comparison with what is happening inside of us. He used stories, rather that advices, to show us the way ''out''.

It just didn't work with me. It wasn’t deep enough, it was cute and charming. Maybe that's my problem. But to explain that I would have to start a sentence with, My dear diary...:)