The Kleinian Development - Part II: Richard Week-by-Week: Melanie Klein's 'Narrative of a Child Analysis'

The Kleinian Development derives from lectures delivered at the Institute of Psychoanalysis, London, and the Tavistock Clinic (1965–78). It is divided into three volumes that examine, in turn, the writings of Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, and Wilfred Bion.

Meltzer describes the series of lectures on Freud, Klein and Bion known as The Kleinian Development as both a quest for personal integration into some kind of ‘combined internal psychoanalytic object’, under whose aegis he personally could aspire to work, and as a vademecum for students. They were originally delivered to students at the Institute and at the Tavistock, specifically with the aim of demonstrating the logical development of that line of psychoanalytic practice. Seeking for this logical development reveals ‘an unfolding of method, leading to discovery of new realms of phenomena, generating in turn new models of the mind, which then modify method, etc.’

Richard Week-by-Week represents a unique and innovative approach to teaching the insights and techniques of Kleinian psychoanalysis, with Mrs Klein herself as teacher and learner at the same time. The Narrative of a Child Analysis offers a unique opportunity to watch Mrs Klein at work in the whitehot environment of the play-consulting room, pushing the boundaries of her conceptual tools whilst remaining acutely sensitive to the needs and sensibilities of the child and the transference emotions which are always at the forefront of her attention.

Meltzer’s own love and admiration for Mrs Klein shines throughout his critique of the Richard story, making this probably his most personal and passionate book, a tribute to both his own analyst and to the analytic process.