When Attatchment Becomes Obsession

From Omnictionary

When Attatchment Becomes Obsession is an award-winning novel by Ruby Hayley Marchlook that was published in the spring of 2007. The book focuses on analyzing the progression of relationships through five stages: crush, interest, passion, attachment, and obsession. The misspelling in the title is an intentional devise used by the author to show that the line between attachment and obsession is, in actuality, unclear, and varies from case to case, so in fact there is not point when attachment fully transforms into obsession (this is similar to the two covers on John Green's novel, Paper Towns).

Controversy

The book was the source of much controversy, most of which originated from Dr. Howard Mintel, a professor at the University of Maryland. He criticized Marchlook's focus on life as a progression of events and instead claims that life is all one moment. Supporters of the book claim that Mintel misinterpreted the point of the book, and that it actually supports his claim. Nonetheless, Mintel continues to speak out against the book.

Additionally, it has been hypothesized that the book was written with a personal agenda. These claims gained more ground over the years, eventually resulting in the theory that Marchlook was using the book to justify her own, challenging marriage with William Wright. It was implied that the marriage between the two was, in fact, a very clear example of obsession (in this case, Marchlook was becoming more obsessed with Wright and attempting to distance herself from that obsession). An investigation into these accusations began in July of 2007, but were called off after Wright's disappearance and death. In May of 2008, a young detective named Phil Justin discovered evidence that linked Marchlook to Wright's disappearance. Before any action could be taken, Marchlook vanished. It is believed that her potential killing of her husband was due her obsession with him.