Lacan's Parrot

Lacan’s Parrot is a remarkable auto-fiction novel that reconstructs the relationship between the author, Betty Milan, and the renowned psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, offering unprecedented insight into the psychoanalytic process from a patient's perspective.

Set against the backdrop of cultural contrasts between Paris and Brazil, the narrative explores themes of immigration, identity formation, and the complexities of psychoanalytical therapy. Milan's narrative skilfully blends multiple modalities - Bildungsroman, historical panorama, and satire -while providing a poignant examination of the Lebanese diaspora in Brazil. Through the protagonist Seriema's journey, readers witness the unfolding of an analytical cure in all its complexity, complete with dreams, hallucinations, and profound realizations about identity and heritage. The book includes an introduction in which Milan describes her motivations for writing the book, and the commonalities between psychoanalysis and writing, and an afterword by Michèle Sarde which provides an interpretive overview and literary analysis.

This unique work offers valuable insight for scholars, psychoanalytic practitioners, and general readers alike.