Reviews for Looking Awry: An Introduction to Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture

The average rating for Looking Awry: An Introduction to Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-12-30 00:00:00 Elizabeth Jochman The ideas in this book are very similar to those Zizek began developing in The Sublime Object of Ideology, but because Looking Awry is less grounded in the complex interplay of Hegelian dialectics and Lacanian psychoanalysis, this is a somewhat more accessible read. Certainly Looking Awry tries to explicate Lacanian theory, but unlike the earlier book, Looking Awry is more focused on making Lacanian theory accessible than it is in restructuring major traditions of ideology. Part of what makes Looking Awry a more accessible book is that its analysis is grounded in film and literary studies, particularly through Hitchcock's films. Even if you don't actually know the film or story under discussion, Zizek is very good at explaining the relevant portions of the film or story in such a way that they illustrate his point. This is one of Zizek's particular strengths as a writer.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-12-02 00:00:00 John Mac Like it's often the case with Žižek - it's highly entertaining but lacks substance. If you are looking for a book to learn about Lacan in a systematic way, this is in no way a book for you. Generally speaking, words "systematic" and "Žižek" don't go together, so the fragmentary and digressive nature of this book should not come as a surprise. He has fun ways of presenting some of Lacan's ideas, but in this particularized form it's not worth much because the bigger Lacanian picture will still elude the reader. If you already know Lacan's work, on the other hand, you will no doubt enjoy Žižek's insightful application of his ideas to movies and literature.