Tomb(e) by Hlne Cixous

Tomb(e) by Hlne Cixous

In 1968-69 I wanted to die, that is to say, stop living, being killed, but it was blocked on all sides, wrote Helene Cixous, esteemed French feminist, playwright, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist. Instead of suicide, she began to dream of writing a tomb for herself. This tomb became a work that is a testament to Cixous s life and spirit and a secret book, the first book she ever authored. Originally written in 1970, Tombe is a Homerian recasting of Shakespeare s Venus and Adonis in the thickets of Central Park, a book Cixous provocatively calls the all-powerful-other of all my books, it sparks them off, makes them run, it is their Messiah. Masterfully translated by Laurent Milesi, Tombe preserves the sonic complexities and intricate wordplay at the core of Cixous s writing, and reveals the struggles, ideas, and intents at the center of her work. With a new prologue by the author, this is a necessary document in the development of Cixous s aesthetic as a writer and theorist, and will be eagerly welcomed by readers as a crucial building block in the foundation of her later work.

"Cixous, important as she is as a feminist theorist and activist, is equally important as an accurate emotional sounding board for women everywhereAs such, her articulation of powerful, if delicate, perceptions in lucid prose/poetry compels the attention of European and American readers.... The power of her prose is philosophically sound." (Choice) "Cixous is today, in my view, the greatest writer in what I will caU my language, the French language if you like. And I am weighing my words as I say that. For a great writer must be a poet-thinker, very much a poet and a very thinking poet." (Jacques Derrida)"

Helene Cixous was born in Oran, Algeria, and is emeritus professor of literature at the Universite Paris VIII, where she founded and directed the Centre de recherches en etudes feminines. She is the author of over seventy works of fiction, plays, and collections of critical essays; recent titles in English translation include So Close, Zero's Neighbour: Sam Beckett, Hemlock, and Philippines. Laurent Milesi is a reader in literature and critical theory at Cardiff University. He has also translated Cixous's Philippines and Zero's Neighbour: Sam Beckett among other books.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780857420251
ISBN 10	0857420259
Title	Tomb(e)
Author	Hélène Cixous
Series	The French List
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Seagull Books London Ltd
Year published	2014-11-11
Number of pages	260
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.