The Practice of Love: Lesbian Sexuality and Perverse Desire

by Teresa de Lauretis

" . . . a work that builds a substantial bridge between Freudian psychoanalysis and radical feminist thought, particularly on the subject of lesbianism. . . . Presenting a complex argument about an issue vital to the psychoanalytic endeavor as well as to feminist theory, The Practice of Love should stimulate a reconsideration of 'perversion' and the construction of sexual fantasy. The illumination of the fantasies that make lesbian desire distinctive will necessarily open up our understanding of all sexuality." ―Jessica Benjamin, New York Times Book Review

"Teresa de Lauretis has entwined three books into a critical history of psychoanalytic theories of female homosexuality; a bold study of how lesbians keep disappearing from popular culture, especially film; and an original speculation on the dynamics of lesbian desire." ―Elisabeth Young-Bruehl

"An important and original contribution not only to lesbian and gay studies, but also to psychoanalytic theory and film criticism. De Lauretis brings a unique and valuable perspective to issues of great importance today in all these areas." ―Leo Bersani

"De Lauretis's influential theory gets top marks from sapphic scholars who know best." ―Out

In an eccentric reading of Freud through Laplanche and the Lacanian and feminist revisions, Teresa de Lauretis delineates a model of "perverse" desire and a theory of lesbian sexuality. The Practice of Love discusses classic psychoanalytic narratives of female homosexuality, contemporary feminist writings on female sexuality, and the evolution of the original fantasies into cultural myths or public fantasies.

Genres: Queer, Theory, Feminism, Nonfiction, Medicine, LGBT, Psychology

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 1994

About the author

Born and educated in Italy, de Lauretis came to the United States shortly after completing her doctorate in modern languages and literatures at Bocconi University in Milan. Before joining the History of Consciousness Department at UCSC, she taught Italian and comparative literature, semiotics, women's studies, and film studies at several American universities, including the University of Colorado and the University of Wisconsin. She has also held visiting professorships in Canada, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as the United States.

The author of seven books and over one hundred essays, de Lauretis writes in both English and Italian. Her works have been translated into 14 other languages of Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Reviews

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book for me to get through, due to the density of the writing. de Lauretis's concern is to argue against feminist dismissals of psychoanalysis and to seize Freud's idea of "perverse desires" and "fetish" as not something that need to be repaired but as meaningful forms of sexuality. (And as she notes, Freud always vacillated between the two positions). Thus, she lays out a theory of lesbianism ultimately based on the Oedipal complex. She also wants to argue for the *specificity* of lesbian desire, against feminist invocations of an innocent, pre-Oedipal connection between all women based on the mother/daughter relationship, as epitomized by Adrienne Rich's article "The Lesbian Continuum." She is also at paints to emphasis what she sees as one of the fundamental truths of psychoanalysis, that the imagined has the same psychic effect as the real, that the unconscious does not distinguish between fantasies and experiences (hence her concern with films). In the end, while I especially appreciated de Lauretis's attempts to define the specific sexual and erotic contours of lesbianism outside of an all-encompassing Female Bonding, I am just fundamentally unconvinced that the Oedipal complex is a worthwhile intellectual construct and that it's important to frame our sexuality through a Freudian lens. Despite my basic suspicion of psychoanalysis, I always enjoy de Lauretis's writing which I find precise and original.

[Brenden O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew. This was very difficult and very good. My five word summary: Freud is Foucault for lesbians.

[Laura]

I originally planned on not including books that I'm reading in preparation for my thesis here, but then I thought, literally why not. I won't be rating them though, just shelving them.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The soulless work of an academic: there is no personality, no spine, well, the book does have a spine, not the author. What X said, ambivalent or dubious speculations about why X said that. The only use was to get some more money from the State, maybe climb the ladder higher to an even better pension plan.

[Arianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teresa De Lauretis? una donna senza freni inibitori, critica Freud? è d'accordo con lui? chissà, con lui è una mamma che offre criticismo costruttivo e insegna come provare a non sbagliare di nuovo, ammettendo il pericolo di errore.

È purtroppo totalmente incentrato su una sessualità puramente lesbica.

[Cloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written but also very difficult to follow.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fuck