I'm glad I read through Reading Seminars I and II before delving into Lacan's first seminar. Mostly, it was a helpful grounding in his understanding of Freud's work with some lively discussion included. As with all primary source Lacan, it feels foolhardy to offer much of a review as it would imply a level of understanding that would be misleading. However, I will say the discussion on Augustine and language was a delightful surprise.

Lacan's seminar on psychosis is a helpful introductory primary text (I received this advice from Bruce Fink in the back of a Clinical Introduction to Lacan). Nevertheless I did take my time with it as there is a predictable density to some of the sections. I found extremely helpful explications of metaphor and metonomy as well.

If you like Lacan.....well, there you go....

I do feel the need to write this addendum (around half a year after adding this review), whereas I must say that if you can understand what goes on inside his head, it does provide an interesting discourse in respect to philosophers such as Freud, Hegel, Žižek, and others. ( )