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A review by colin_cox
Introducing Lacan: A Graphic Guide by Darian Leader
3.0
Introducing Lacan: A Graphic Guide has many redeemable characteristics. It follows Lacan's thoughts chronologically, which helps to unpack the ways Lacan's thoughts shifted and developed over time. It also references particular works and texts, such as his yearly seminars, which allow readers to search and find the source(s) of each chapter. Furthermore, while this introduction seems, on the surface, geared toward middle or high school-aged readers, it is not. At times, some readers unfamiliar with Lacan may need to reread certain chapters and sections. All of this is to say, this book is not nearly as diluted as I anticipated.
Because the book is designed to be a primer, there are certain limitations. The section on sexuation, for example, fails to explain the female position or orientation adequately, and by doing so, it seems to suggest that psychoanalysis prioritized the male orientation (i.e., that of the exclusion to lack or castration). On the other hand, the book correctly describes Lacan as "not a structuralist" since he attempts to theorize the subject. This is a small but important distinction.
I like Introducing Lacan: A Graphic Guide for what it is. The chapters are short and easy enough to return to for future reference.
Because the book is designed to be a primer, there are certain limitations. The section on sexuation, for example, fails to explain the female position or orientation adequately, and by doing so, it seems to suggest that psychoanalysis prioritized the male orientation (i.e., that of the exclusion to lack or castration). On the other hand, the book correctly describes Lacan as "not a structuralist" since he attempts to theorize the subject. This is a small but important distinction.
I like Introducing Lacan: A Graphic Guide for what it is. The chapters are short and easy enough to return to for future reference.