Listen free for 30 days

  • The Drama of the Gifted Child

  • The Search for the True Self
  • Written by: Alice Miller
  • Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
  • Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (120 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Drama of the Gifted Child cover art

The Drama of the Gifted Child

Written by: Alice Miller
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $31.43

Buy Now for $31.43

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

This best-selling book examines childhood trauma and the enduring effects it has on an individual's management of repressed anger and pain.

Why are many of the most successful people plagued by feelings of emptiness and alienation? This wise and profound book has provided millions of people with an answer—and has helped them to apply it to their own lives.

Far too many of us had to learn as children to hide our own feelings, needs, and memories skillfully in order to meet our parents' expectations and win their "love". Alice Miller writes, "When I used the word 'gifted' in the title, I had in mind neither children who receive high grades in school nor children talented in a special way. I simply meant all of us who have survived an abusive childhood thanks to an ability to adapt even to unspeakable cruelty by becoming numb.... Without this 'gift' offered us by nature, we would not have survived."

But merely surviving is not enough. The Drama of the Gifted Child helps us to reclaim our life by discovering our own crucial needs and our own truth.

©1997 Basic Books (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"Narcissism has rarely been written about with the clarity and quiet insights of this modest, thought-provoking work." (Washington Post Book World)

"An unpretentious little book with an amazing impact.... Many readers find themselves portrayed with an accuracy and empathy that seem uncanny, as if the author had been a silent, unseen witness to their childhood [and] their innermost and secret selves." (Vogue)

"Rare and compelling in its compassion and its unassuming eloquence...her examples are so vivid and so ordinary they touch the hurt child in us all" (The New York Magazine)

What listeners say about The Drama of the Gifted Child

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    93
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    68
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    70
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A profound experience

This book has had an enormous impact on me, possibly more than any other book. Almost word for word, start to finish, it explains the story of my life. I've been searching, studying, learning and growing for the past 4 years since my initial awakening. This book helped me put pieces of the puzzle together that I previously wasn't able to see. The brilliant thing is that I've had a significant internal shift as a result of this book, which is now projecting into the world around me. A brilliant book for understanding more about the shadow and how to integrate it into life in a healthy way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing 👏

Absolutely must listen to this incredible book. It had me captured and reflecting on every word along the way. Anyone remotely interested in healing from past trauma should definitely consider this read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved it

it was eye opening to say the least and gave me a sense of deeper self understanding and love 💕

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

definitely worth it

it was difficult to listen to until it wasn't, and without much of a transition I felt like it was speaking to me. I've recommended it to friends with drastically different upbringings who I knew would also relate. Maybe we're in this cycle because we're biologically made to, but we're in the beginning steps of solving the equation without involving another child to relive our own traumas
obvi subjective and case by case, but worth the perspectives it give

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Convoluted, superficial, hard to follow

The way this is written feels more like a monologue, an after thought or someone thinking aloud who goes back-and-forth, touches on many different and same topics at different times unexpectedly. Every comment is made so superficially that you never really get to experience any depth to what is being said. Something very relevant may be said but it is only a sentence, and then it moves on to a completely different idea. Nothing is fully explored. I have read several books on similar topics and this is by far my least favourite and the hardest to follow.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Simply Fantastic!

This was a very enlightening book and I'll be buying it in hard copy so that I can write in it and take notes. I enjoyed listening to it first and the performance of the narrator is quite good. Blows my mind this was written so long ago but is still extremely relevant even till today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anthony
  • Anthony
  • 2019-02-06

An unfortunate translation of the original title

The original title of this book was "Prisoners of Childhood," which makes far more sense than "Drama of the Gifted Child." The latter, in my interpretation, points to the challenges surrounding children of remarkable capabilities, which constitutes very little of this book. It is hard to know how I may have felt had I listened to a different reader's interpretation of the material. This reader's performance is atrocious - lending an egotistical and embittered tone to every syllable. The writer lacks any connectivity and understanding to a higher source, which, in my opinion, makes much of her philosophy limited in scope and understanding, though not without some practical merit and interest. I would definitely NOT suggest subjecting yourself to the torture of listening to this reader. If the topic of being imprisoned by the experiences of childhood interest you, this book may further open your mind, but do yourself the favor of truly READING it, unless a better performed version avails itself.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Jmfugett
  • Jmfugett
  • 2018-12-10

Therapists will benefit from this book, as well as clients

This book takes a strongly psychodynamic and moderately psychoanalytical view of the forces at work in adults who have had traumatic backgrounds. Indeed, as in all of her books, the author reveals that most of us are unaware of the baggage we carry.

It also reminded me of the baggage my own adult children carry because of my lack of insight into my childhood baggage, which effected my parenting. It reminded me to talk to them about how their childhood experiences have left implicit scars that they need to understand and overcome.

As a therapist who utilizes a strong Interpersonal Neurobiology approach to therapy, I have found this a very useful book to recommend to clients. Their feedback has always been good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Johanna P
  • Johanna P
  • 2019-05-27

Beautifully crafted with loud and clear truth

This is a must book for more than half of our society. the narration is good with simple approach to hardcore psychology. If you're a perfectionist artist or any kind of highly sensitive person with a feeling of endless hunger maybe this book is just for you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for I.C. Rodriguez
  • I.C. Rodriguez
  • 2018-10-13

now that I know now. I can start to work.

If it's difficult to hear it first its because it 'hits too close to home". But once you hear, for better or for worse, what she has to say, you'll now be able to deal with it.
Worth hearing through to the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Thesky999
  • Thesky999
  • 2018-11-28

Psychology for psychologists

Excellent work. This is probably the most important work in psychology I've read after CG Jung. She expresses the affects of childhood trauma on the adult psyche.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Nir
  • Nir
  • 2018-11-04

interesting information, though hard to follow

The idea is really interesting, yet both the narration and book structure are non ideal ( e.g. it's hard to even tell from narration when does a chapter ends - she just keeps talking quickly). So, it's not bad, but would consider the book version instead.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for marissa armstrong
  • marissa armstrong
  • 2021-04-22

a tough but insightful read...

this book is a LOT. my therapist asked me to check this book out. I found myself going through a whirlwind of emotions. some of the verbiage was a bit advanced from what I'm used to but the context clues helped get me through. I found my logical brain in awe to a degree like wow this makes total sense while my emotional brain was like, "NOPE.NOPE.NOPE. YOU CANT MAKE ME GO THERE LALALALA " on some childish level mentally. meanwhile, I was crying a lot feeling angry, sad, and hurt. this book is a lot to process and was tough for me to get through. it definitely highlighted a lot of my traumas I didn't realize were affecting me so profoundly. I'm definitely going to have to give this another listen with a more open emotional brain lol

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Jen
  • Jen
  • 2018-10-18

Learn Your Truth

An amazing eye opening piece by Miller. If you have kids, this book is a must, not pass on tramas of your own childhood, and be consciencely aware how your actions effect them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Too many movies, too little time
  • Too many movies, too little time
  • 2020-05-25

Not as useful as I had hoped

I am a therapist that read this book in coll5a few decades ago. I decided to listen to it before recommending it to clients. I am glad I did, because it's a tough read. The content wasn't as well organized as I thought it would be. I don't know if this is due to the translation, but it took effort to get through this. While the material is good, it isn't held together well logically. I do not think I will recommend this book, even though it is considered a classic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Claire
  • Claire
  • 2018-10-02

Boring

Heavily Freudian and full of assumptions
Long tangents

I’m glad it’s helping people but I found it tiring and without relevant insight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 2020-09-01

JE RECOMMANDE VIVEMENT !!!

Moi personnellement j'ai trouvé des réponses à beaucoup de questions.
Ce livre m'a été recommandé par ma psychologue et aujourd'hui je comprend pourquoi.
Je recommande vivement !♥️🎭⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful