Review of The Lacan Tradition

Reviews the book, The Lacan Tradition edited by Lionel Bailly, David Lichtenstein, and Sharmini Bailly (2018). The book is divided into four parts and a very insightful introduction to Lacan by Lionel Bailly. A portrait of Lacan emerges as being committed to working toward deepening his understanding of psychoanalysis, the psychoanalytic process, and the human condition. Throughout this book there are frequent references to Freud, which reflects Lacan’s idea of his return to Freud. Lacan treats Freud’s texts and ideas as critical while simultaneously rewriting psychoanalytic theory in terms of contemporary, culturally focused intersubjective concepts. In conclusion, this is an extremely well-thought-out and erudite book that the reviewer believes is quite timely in presenting Lacanian theory in ways that are true to Lacan’s intent to deepen our understanding of our experience of being human, living in a state of lack, of dissatisfaction, not knowing and, most importantly, struggling to represent our unconscious desire and fantasies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)