Publisher's Weekly Review
Observing that the act of weeping is exclusively human, though its interpretation is by no means universal, Lutz (American Nervousness, 1903) offers a fascinating, multi-disciplinary study of tears. With a fluid style and an astonishingly vast reachÄencompassing history, literature, the arts and the social sciencesÄLutz explores how crying has been portrayed and perceived throughout history. In a dense but essential section, he examines the physiology of tears and cites theorists, Darwin among them, who considered crying a physical, muscular act. Of course, tears are more commonly viewed as expressing "a surplus of feeling over thinking," whether of sorrow, happiness, pain, relief, pride, empathy, catharsis, deception (as in crocodile tears) or any combination of these emotions. Lutz asks not only why we cry, but why we stop crying and how we react to another person's tears. His examination of gender stereotypes and the traditional division of emotional "labor" in our society, according to which women cry and men restrain themselves, is especially provocative. Turning to pop culture, Lutz comments on how contemporary American gender-typing has shifted in books, movies and real life, noting two iconic images: Jacqueline Kennedy's stoic reserve at her husband's funeral and Michael Jordan's open sobbing at a championship victory. This accomplished work is a rich treat for anyone intrigued by emotional displays. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An exceptionally fine, interdisciplinary study that uses physiology, individual and social psychology, literature, cultural history, and other disciplines to help us understand in depth the most basic expression of human sorrow. Lutz (American Nervousness, 1903: A History of Nervous Illness at the Turn of the Century, not reviewed) analyzes how we produce tears and writes clearly about the different kinds of crying. For example, emotional tears (the kind you shed at a wedding or a funeral) have more protein than reflex tears (the kind you get from slicing an onion). Looking at crying through a cultural lens, he notes that while the medieval monasticists thought of tears as 'a gift from God and a tribute to Him,' today we have come to see weeping in far more instrumental terms; one of Lutz's chapters is entitled 'Tears of Revenge, Seduction, Escape, and Empathy.' His best writing focuses on how weeping is highly influenced by pyschosocial expectations, gender roles (women tend to cry more, men less, when with someone of the opposite sex), and cultural norms. A particularly fascinating passage deals with someone weeping in the context of the highly elaborate, protracted traditional funeral rituals of premodern Korea. Lutz's fascinating chapter on 'Fictional Tears' covers a wide range of works, from The Odyssey to John Irving's The Cider House Rules. His emphasis is on 20th-century writers, whose characters often have difficulty weeping, suffer from the self- alienated state that T.S. Eliot called 'the dissociation of sensibility.' Concerning the current cult of crying as cathartic or otherwise therapeutic, particularly for men, Lutz has some acerbic things to say and quotes a number of witty observations on this emotional trend, such as Nora Ephron's 'It's true that men who cry are sensitive and in touch with their feelings, but the only feelings they tend to be sensitive to and in touch with are their own.' Near the beginning of his book, Lutz observes that 'There are a dozen books on laughter . . . for every one on tears.' This original, well-researched, highly informative, engaging, and otherwise beautifully written work, which unmistakably is one of the decade's best on the emotional life, goes a very long way towards redressing that imbalance.
Booklist Review
A clear-eyed look at the freighted meanings of teary eyes, Lutz's excursion into lacrimation insightfully grapples with the fundamentally ineffable aspects of crying. Why do we cry, indeed? The newborn baby bawls for months, and pediatricians and parents still don't know why. Is crying a catharsis of emotions? A sincere or manipulative expression of one's emotional state, whether joyful or mournful? Lutz wagers that convincing answers will be found not in physiology or psychology--though he presents chapters on each--but in artistic representations of crying. The spread of his examples certainly moves his text along. From Achilles weeping over the dead Patroklos to today's teens returning repeatedly to wail over the movie Titanic, Lutz agilely handles tearjerkers through the ages and the ambiguous messages the fictional weepers send. Is Achilles just sad or mad with revenge? Lutz further delves into the varied cultural contexts of crying, underscoring that such a simple behavior is far from a simple constituent of human nature. An affable, stimulating essay. --Gilbert Taylor
Choice Review
Lutz (English, Univ. of Iowa) has written an entertaining and valuable book on an unusual topic. He believes that crying is a uniquely human expression, and he describes tears of sadness, pleasure, holiness, manliness, mourning, empathy, seduction, revenge, and deception. Over time, human cultures have valued crying differently, leading to distinctive patterns of crying behavior. Lutz's discussion of the history of sex differences in crying is particularly interesting, as are his observations on the meanings ascribed to crying in childhood and cultural variations in mourning. A skillful writer, Lutz mixes anecdotes and quotations with insightful observations throughout the book. A rich blend of anthropology, history, physiology, psychology, and sociology, the book contains an extensive bibliography and is the best available scholarly treatment of this topic. Recommended as a useful addition to any undergraduate or graduate collection. R. Madigan; University of Alaska, Anchorage
Library Journal Review
In a unique study much touted by the publisher, Lutz draws on poets, philosophers, sociologists, and anthropologists as well as scientists. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
