Zizek: A Guide for the Perplexed

Reviews / Votes

Charting a course through Lacan, German Idealism and Communism, Sean Sheehan presents a multidimensional roadmap through the various twists and turns of Zizek's philosophy, providing an indispensable introduction to the thought to one of the world's most challenging thinkers. The book finishes with a comprehensive overview of the famous Slovenian philosopher's considerable output across various media, enabling you to complete the journey to an understanding of Slavoj Zizek's thought on your own. Featured on the website A Piece of Monologue. Sheehan's earnestly friendly little book... carefully explains the "objet petit a", the difference between "early" and "later" Zizekian accounts of "the real", and what Zizek takes from Kant and Lenin, before providing deft paraphrases of the main arguments (such as they can be discerned) in Zizek's major books, as well as some cute characterisations of their dramatic arcs. Sheehan's earnestly friendly little book... carefully explains the "objet petit a", the difference between "early" and "later" Zizekian accounts of "the real", and what Zizek takes from Kant and Lenin, before providing deft paraphrases of the main arguments (such as they can be discerned) in Zizek's major books, as well as some cute characterisations of their dramatic arcs... [Sheehan] has a reassuring tone and nice judgment. His exposition of German idealism, especially, provides a useful service for many of those preparing to tackle the large forthcoming volume that Zizek himself has tantalisingly described as his 'boring book on Hegel'. * The Guardian *