The author presents a re-reading of the works of Lou Andreas-Salome (1861-1
937), one of the key figures in the early history of psychoanalysis. He foc
usses in particular on her biographical and autobiographical works, as well
as her correspondences with Freud, Rilke and other influential people of h
er time, arguing that Andreas-Salome disappears from her own works as an au
tonomous speaking subject, while reappearing in the works of others as a si
lent, tacit influence. On closer examination, a specific genre emerges from
her works that has so far gone unnoticed: the shared life narrative, The a
uthor claims that Andreas-Salome developed this genre of shared life narrat
ives in an attempt to match her theoretical notions of narcissism to a prac
tical communicative position that is neither subjectivistic nor objectivist
ic. Relating the notion of shared life narratives to the psychoanalytic dis
course, new possibilities may be opened up for expanding and enlarging our
knowledge of human interaction.