Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna and the Discovery of the Modern Mind

Like Sarah Bakewell’s How to Live and Andrea Wulf’s Magnificent Rebels, Mortal Secrets is a lively and accessible portrait of a major figure – Sigmund Freud – and the unprecedented era of creativity that shaped his ideas.

Some cities are like stars. When the conditions are right, they ignite, and they burn with such fierce intensity that they outshine all their rivals. From 1890 and through the early years of the 20th century, Vienna became a dazzling beacon. The city was powered by an unprecedented number of extraordinary people – artists Klimt and Schiele, thinkers such as Theodor Herzl, and fashion icons like the glamorous Empress Sisi.

Conversations in coffee houses and salons spurred advances in almost every area of human endeavour: science, politics, philosophy, and the arts. The influence of early 20th century Vienna is still detectable all around us – but the place where it is at its strongest is in our heads. The way we think about ourselves has been largely determined by Vienna’s most celebrated resident: Sigmund Freud. Mortal Secrets is the story of Freud’s life, Vienna’s golden age, and an essential reappraisal of Freud’s legacy.