The Illness Narratives, by Arthur Kleinman: an anthropological and communicational perspective on health care

Abstract

This review is about the book Illness Narratives: Suffering, Healing, and the Human Condition by the American anthropologist and psychiatrist, Arthur Kleinman, originally published in 1988. The work highlights the relevance of patient narratives from an anthropological and communicational perspective on illness and addresses how these narratives have their value and impact not only in the private sphere, but also in the health system.