I've been trying to get a grasp of Lacan's thinking and I stumbled upon this book which I just finished. While it is not an exposition of Lacan's philosophy and psychoanalysis, it is a wonderfully unique application of Lacanian psychoanalytic thinking. Why was the body left where it was? What is the significance of objects at the scene of a crime? He also comments on the photos themselves such as natural light vs artificial light, etc and how this influences the interpretation of the photo.

I've never read anything quite like it. It's an easy read even for anyone not familiar with Freud or Lacan. The value of the book lies in reorienting your thinking and helping you actually use Lacanian ideas. The author analyzes crime scene photos of murders committed in the U.K. between 1955 and 1970. Most of the murder victims are women, but not all. The photos are very disturbing and were very difficult to obtain according to the author. The concern was that they were to be used for prurient and undignified purposes. If you find viewing photos of Holocaust victims distasteful or disturbing, then you would feel the same about some of these photos. However, the presentation is neutral and dignified and the photos are essential to the purpose of the book.

To give you a taste of the type of analysis, I'll mention a murder described in the chapter called 'The Perverse Crime Scene'. A woman's butler killed her and hid her body in her wardrobe. The crime scene was otherwise neat and tidy without any obvious clues. Let me quote from some of his analysis:

"However, the perpetrator did leave one clue on display in the room: a cup of tea in the bedside table...Insofar as drinking tea is a socially coded ritual, it is notable that someone often _serves_ tea...The serving of tea often includes the dynamic of interaction: one person serves another. And what emerges from the information in the SIO's report on this case is the fact that the killer generally brought in an early-morning cup of tea as part of his duties; thus on this final occasion he had served tea to _someone he knew to be dead_. The cup of tea functions as an index to an updating of the original relationship: the killer seemingly played out a long-fantasized scenario, noting in his confession statement: 'When I got back around 3:00 AM it came into my mind again about strangling Miss ---'. The presence of the tea - slowly cooling, as the body was -- might be an object something like a 'calling card', a proud declaration of a completed inversion and triumph over the designated law of _master and servant_. Crucially, though, for the perverse criminal, such a bleak - 'sick' - joke is not designed to amuse. The purpose is simply to undermine, mock, and attack the taken-for-granted logic that the Symbolic Order imposes: the basic logic - 'common sense' - that structures daily life."

This should give you an idea of the type of criticism employed. The book would be suitable for those studying Lacan as well as artists, photographers, and those with an interest in wider cultural studies, film studies, etc. It might even prove insightful for law enforcement professionals engaged in CSI activities.

It is a very interesting book that helps elucidate a dark side of humanity. ( )