The Lacanian Subject: Between Language and Jouissance

"This book, as well as it's sequel entitled "A Clinical Introduction to Lacanian Psychoanalysis", is integral to any English reader's approach to Lacanian Psychoanalysis.

Notoriously opaque to the scholar, Lacan's work has been misperceived and ignored for far too long. The reasons for this, it would seem, are twofold. First, translation has been a major problem. Lacan's language was difficult enough for the French audiences to comprehend, saying that some elements may get "lost in translation" is a gross understatement. Secoundly, Lacan was primarily concerned with training physicians, not philosophers and theorists. For this reason much of his work assumes that the reader is training to be or already is an analyst.

So how are these predicaments to be overcome? Fortunatly we have Fink and his seminal introductions. Not only is Fink Lacan's appointed and approved translator into English, he is also a (veteran) practicing Lacanian analyst in America. What we get in his two main introductions is not only a theoretical exposition, but a crash course in clinical practice.

In my opinion this book should be read AFTER it's aforementioned sequel and not before. Although this book does make many clinical references it does not succeed to give the reader as much firm ground to stand on as the "Clinical Introduction". Take my advice and you may save yourself an unnecessary re-read."
~ Written on 2007-02-25

"I read this book while writing my MA dissertation, which explored Lacan in great depth, and found it to be extremely helpful. Frink offers a very lucid and focussed explanation of Lacanian theory. In short, he covers all bases, from the 'unconscious structured like a language' to the 'objet a'.

What's more it does so in an original and thought-provoking way, in its own right. It elucidates Lacan's theories using mathmatical puzzles and formulae, as well as logical paradoxes and other examples in a far clearer way than Lacan ever did (at least it seems this way to a 'beginner').

This isn't really a development or application of Lacan, though, but neither is it an oversimplified 'introduction to...'.

Also, with Frink being a Lacanian psychoanalyst himself, this book reads Lacan in light of actual clinical practice, a perspective which is sadly lacking in the glut of literature/film studies/philosophy-related studies of Lacan.

I can't recommend this book enough for anyone trying to get their heads around this challenging thinker."
~ Written on 2006-03-17

"An excellent guide to a brilliant but difficult thinker. If you have read one of the earlier 'guide to' or 'introducing' books on Lacan, you will almost certainly want to read a book such as this before tackling Lacan head-on. Fink's writing is scholarly yet accessible and he works hard to keep true to Lacan's work in all its complexity, where many other authors have simplified (and dulled) the radicalism and expanse of Lacanian thought. Highly recommended. Top bannana!"
~ Written on 2005-04-19