Magnetic Fields
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Magnetic Fields by Andre Breton
An indispensible classic of French poetry, this is a new translation of Breton and Soupault's experiment with automatic writing, and also the first known work of literary surrealism. In the spring of 1919, two young men, Andr Breton and Philippe Soupault, both in a state of shock after World War I, embarked on an experiment. Sick of the literary cultivation of voice, sick of the well-written, they wanted to unleash the power of the word and to create a new morality to replace the prevailing morality, the source of all our trials and tribulations. They had a plan. They would write for a week on every day of the week and they would write fast, as fast as possible, in complete secrecy. When the week was over, the writing would be done. No touching up. This was how The Magnetic Fields, the first sustained exercise in automatic writing, came to be. Charlotte Mandell's brilliant new translation reveals a key work of twentieth-century literature.
Andrü¾Ž–”¼ Breton (1896-1966) was a writer, poet, and co-founder of the surrealist movement. A student of psychiatry and a devout Marxist, Breton saw surrealism as the ultimate means to liberation both personal and political. Philippe Soupault (1897-1990) was a co-founder of the surrealist movement alongside Andrü¾Ž–”¼ Breton. Soupault left surrealism behind following political disagreements with Breton, remaining a lifelong writer. Charlotte Mandell is a translator of French literature. She has published numerous translations of writers including Jean Genet, Guy de Maupassant, and Gustave Flaubert. She has been awarded a translation prize from the Modern Language Association and the National Translation Award in Prose. She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781681374604 |
| ISBN 10 | 1681374609 |
| Title | Magnetic Fields |
| Author | Andre Breton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The New York Review of Books, Inc |
| Year published | 2020-10-13 |
| Number of pages | 128 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |