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People get what they settle for.
—Susan Sarandon in Thelma and Louise
Despite the different tones and natures of many of his texts and essays, Adam Phillips's trademark appears to be portraying himself as the clever and astute observer and critic of the common sense, the obvious and the normal standards that we take for granted. His latest book, Monogamy, continues that tradition and is unmistakingly a Phillips creation. Monogamy is a series of provocative observations that attempt to destabilize and put in question that very institution that we hold sacred—monogamy. Phillips cleverly switches the object of observation from divorce, adultery, and lack of family values to question family values themselves. He reverses figure and ground, thereby constructing a space to evaluate, discuss, and understand a concept that has long withstood such analysis. In that way, Monogamy, although different in style and form than any psychoanalytic text, is undoubtedly and thoroughly psychoanalytic in its spirit.
For Phillips, monogamy and the regulatory practice of marriage is not something to guide our patients into, but rather something to be put into question. He neither normalizes nor pathologizes monogamy; he just questions it and therefore raises possibilities regarding its potential meanings for us. He questions fidelity and infidelity and puts them both on trial, thereby elaborating issues of pleasure, sexuality, and desire.
In its cleverness, Monogamy is quite humorous and funny, but the humor is permeated with rather serious philosophical and analytic thoughts regarding intimacy, love, hate, romance, envy, and attachment. Like a good interpretation, Phillips makes a point and then allows the reader to utilize in whatever way he/she wishes. He does not elaborate or push his particular insight by citing references and metapsychological concepts. He says what he has to say and leaves the rest to us.
Phillips astutely wonders as to why monogamy is taken for granted when in fact suc