Jacques
Lacan is now taking his place as a major psychoanalytical
theorist alongside Freud, although recognition
of his status has been delayed by fierce arguments
over the complexity of his ideas.
Written
by a leading Lacanian analyst and writer,
Introducing Lacan brilliantly elucidates the
central ideas of Lacanian theory. It guides
the reader through Lacan’s early study
of paranoia to his subsequent analytical innovations
– his addition of structural linguistics
to Freudianism and his new ideas on the infant
“mirror phase”, the construction
of identity and the dynamics of the psyche.
It also makes clear that, although Lacan has
become a major postmodern influence in literature,
art, philosophy and feminism, his theories
are not simply cultural intellectualisations
but are rooted in clinical practice.
For
anyone intrigued by Lacan’s ideas but
discouraged by the apparent arcane quality
of his writings, Darian Leader’s lucid
text and the graphic illustrations of Judy
Groves together provide the ideal introduction.
***
Darian
Leader is a psychoanalyst practising in London.
He is the author of Why Do Women Write More
Letters Than They Post? (1996), Promises Lovers
Make When It Gets Late (1998), Freud’s
Footnotes (2000) and Stealing the Mona Lisa:
What Art Stops Us From Seeing (2002), all
published by Faber & Faber.
Judy
Groves is a painter, graphic designer and
illustrator. She has illustrated numerous
books in the Introducing series including
Philosophy, Chomsky and Wittgenstein.
