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An Introductory Dictionary of Lacanian Psychoanalysis 1st Edition
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Jacques Lacan's thinking revolutionised the theory and practice of psychoanalysis and had a major impact in fields as diverse as film studies, literary criticism, feminist theory and philosophy. Yet his writings are notorious for their complexity and idiosyncratic style. Emphasising the clinical basis of Lacan's work, An Introductory Dictionary of Lacanian Psychoanalysis is an ideal companion to his ideas for readers in every discipline where his influence is felt. The Dictionary features:
* over 200 entries, explaining Lacan's own terminology and his use of common psychoanalytic expressions
* details of the historical and institutional context of Lacan's work
* reference to the origins of major concepts in the work of Freud, Saussure, Hegel and other key thinkers
* a chronology of Lacan's life and works.
- ISBN-100415135230
- ISBN-13978-0415135238
- Edition1st
- Publication dateMay 2, 1996
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions6.14 x 0.6 x 9.21 inches
- Print length264 pages
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Editorial Reviews
Review
'A major reference work that will provide guidance and stimulus to the newcomer and the specialist alike.' - Malcolm Bowie
About the Author
Dylan Evans trained as a Lacanian psychoanalyst in Buenos Aires, London and Paris. He is currently working on a PhD at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Product details
- Publisher : Routledge; 1st edition (May 2, 1996)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 264 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0415135230
- ISBN-13 : 978-0415135238
- Item Weight : 14.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 6.14 x 0.6 x 9.21 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,120,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,053 in Medical Psychoanalysis
- #1,478 in Popular Psychology Psychoanalysis
- #1,934 in Medical Psychotherapy TA & NLP
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

My uncontrollable curiosity has led me in some weird and wonderful directions. I once led an experiment in post-apocalyptic living in the Scottish Highlands. On another occasion I made a film for British TV which got banned. I have worked as an interpreter for a Marxist Catholic nun and a Zulu, trained as a Lacanian psychoanalyst in Argentina, and been censured for sharing a scientific paper about fruitbats. I've also taught at various universities around the world, written several popular science books, and set up two companies.
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Solid Reference
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2012I am a psychoanalist and usual reader from Freud to Lacan. This book is very good from beginners to professionals, to learn as well as to consult. Its concepts descriptions are very clear and, despite Lacan's writings are complex, these book's presentation are clear. So, I would recommend it for those who are close to psychoanalysis as well as for the ones that are curious about it.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2018Words cannot express how useful this book is to understand Lacan. It shows how Lacan developed each term, and explain its meaning very well for his readers. The Kindle edition, by the way, it is excellent.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2013Just looked at the Dylan Evan's author page. He has books in "Evolutionary Psychology"! and Dylan Evans has a book on Lacanian Psychoanalysis - totally incompatible! Amazon correct this mistake.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023Book arrived with a huge dent/crease in it making it unusable
- Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2005Dylan Evans, a Lecturer in Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Brunel and an analysist in private practice in London has written a very helpful dictionary of Lacanian terms and terminology. The Dictionary has both short and more lengthy entries, with the more complicated terms such as the Real, the Symbolic and the Imaginary, the Other, the Mirror Stage, etc., each meriting longer essays of up to two pages. My interest in Lacan is presently primarily in terms of literary theory but the book is perhaps even more suited to someone approaching Lacan from a psychoanalytic angle, as most of the definitions are analyst-oriented. This is not the book from which to "learn Lacan" of course, and there are a number of good introductions available, such as Bruce Fink's and Jean-Michel Rabate's, in addition to the Cambridge Companion to Lacan. Also, beginners would probably be well advised not to start with the Seminars or Ecrits, but with one of these introductions, then moving on to Lacan's writings with this as a good guide through the very ideosyncratic (and shifting over time) vocabulary. I have found this book to be a great help in navigating Lacan!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2006Well formulated, brief and quite inclusive. A good reference book for any Lacan reader and has no equivalent in the market as such. But one wishes if it could have been more comphrehensive and detailed. But as the name suggest it is just intended to be introductiory.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018This is a useful reference - the definitions provided are clear and (most importantly) point you to the original cited works. It does appear to have an error - page 19 figure one is not a borromean knot - it is three rings stacked on top of each other. This may seem minor but if you are attempting to understand its significance it could be confusing. The illustration of the knot on the cover is correct
This is a useful reference - the definitions provided are clear and (most importantly) point you to the original cited works. It does appear to have an error - page 19 figure one is not a borromean knot - it is three rings stacked on top of each other. This may seem minor but if you are attempting to understand its significance it could be confusing. The illustration of the knot on the cover is correct
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020This is a pretty good primer on Lacan and his ideas. All of the entries are well-written and easily readable. That said, Evans does occasionally quote Lacan on an idea without going much further (thereby further muddying the waters), and rarely he provides an extremely pithy explanation for an otherwise key idea (e.g., "Traversing the fantasy" is briefly glossed as ensuring that "the treatment ... produce[s] some modification of the subject’s fundamental mode of defence, some alteration in his mode of jouissance"... and that's it). All in all, if you're just starting to look into Lacan, Evans' book—read alongside Sean Homer's "Jacques Lacan", Dino Felluga's "Critical Theory" primer, and Slavoj Zizek's "How to Read Lacan"—will do you a lot of good.
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on October 14, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Brilliant and useful book for understanding Lacan
-
Nicolás AlmuzaraReviewed in Spain on November 12, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible
Un trabajo admirable. Pocos autores tan difíciles como monsieur Lacan, y mister Evans consigue un nivel de claridad como no he visto otro igual. Imprescindible para quienes, como es mi caso, se interesen por este mundo sin ser especialistas.
- AnthelmReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential resource...
Evans' dictionary has rightly established itself as an indispensable companion to any serious exploration of Lacan's notoriously difficult work. In itself, this isn't a book for those with no familiarity with Lacan: an absolute beginner will need to consult one of the plethora of 'Introductions to Lacan', but Evans' dictionary helps the serious student take the plunge from secondary literature into Lacan's Seminars and thereafter into the Ecrits. Particularly useful for those who come to Lacan via Žižek, as it will help to re-connect Lacan with clinical concerns and to clarify the Lacanian terminology that Žižek sometimes deploys in idiosyncratic ways or with only partial explanation. Evans became disillusioned with Lacanian Psychoanalysis and no longer practices; I believe he now rejects much of Lacan's theory altogether. He has, however, done a great service in helping others to navigate Lacan's work and evaluate its coherence for themselves. Nonetheless, it might fall to someone else to renew and update this dictionary in the light of new scholarship and Bruce Fink's fresh English translation of the Ecrits.
- A readerReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2008
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable
This book has saved me many headaches. It's clear, coherent and constantly references its sources for quick access to the right places in Lacan or Freud if you want it from the horse's mouth. Most importantly, it has opened up Lacanian thought for me without skimming over details or complexities too much, as those '... for Beginners' books sometimes can.
This book isn't for beginners, but we all get perplexed sometimes and without it, I might be sobbing in a darkened room with a damp towel around my head.
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寂羅漢Reviewed in Japan on May 3, 2008
4.0 out of 5 stars ラカン派用語集
「網羅的にラカンの用語を収録した辞書」というよりは、「1ページ1項目のコンパクトな用語集」というところでしょうか。200ページちょっとなので、普通の本としても読み通せる分量です。
内容はなかなか手堅く、一読の価値はあるでしょう。一般的に、本家フランスの研究よりも英米系の方が記述が明快です。インターネット上の用語解説(ウィ○ペディアとか)などでは、本書の内容がまるまるパクられてたりします(笑)
ラカン派の事典としてはR・シェママ編の『精神分析事典』が普及してるみたいですが、あちらと違ってこの本は一人の執筆者が書いているので、内容の整合性も取れているでしょう。
邦訳が待たれる本だと思うんですが、もうラカンは下火なんですかね…。
なにせ、この本の執筆者も現在はラカン派ではないという話です。
進化心理学という、精神分析よりも科学的で将来性のある分野に転向したそうです(泣)