In my rating, I feel I was for better or worse influenced by Michael who rates this as one of his favorite books ever. I was frustrated that I didn’t like this as much as him (or maybe I had too high expectations).

I enjoyed the narrative and can see why it is so popular, I just wish there was more to it (in depth and breadth). The story is heartbreaking and eye-opening in that it is a firsthand account of one man’s experience in a concentration camp. The story was more observational and removed than I’d prefer but I think that is due to Frankl being a psychologist & the book being a thesis of sorts (not just a memoir).

Overall I appreciated the theme of recognizing how mindset plays a part in adapting to circumstances out of our control. I was amazed by the descriptions of the camp and how Frankl’s mindset and actions helped him endure. Again, I wish I liked this more than I did! Just wish there was more nuance in recognizing that mindset is not end-all be-all, especially if people have existing predispositions to mental illness and how that plays a part in suffering/trauma.

Note: I didn’t read the second part about logotherapy - I was not interested in that level of detail.