The Absence of Myth

Writings on Surrealism

Georges Bataille, Michael Richardson

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Hardback

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English

Verso
01 November 2006

Art & Architecture; Art & design styles: Expressionism; Literary essays; Western philosophy, from c 1900 -

For Bataille, the absence of myth had itself become the myth of the modern age. In a world that had lost the secret of its cohesion, Bataille saw surrealism as both a symptom and a beginning of an attempt to address this loss. His writings on this theme are the result of a profound reflection in the wake of World War Two. The Absence of Myth is the most incisive study yet made of surrealism, insisting on its importance as a cultural and social phenomenon with far-reaching consequences. Clarifying Bataille's links with the surrealist movement, and throwing revealing light on his complex and greatly misunderstood relationship with Andre Breton, The Absence of Myth shows Bataille to be a much more radical figure than his postmodernist devotees would have us believe: a man who continually tried to extend Marxist social theory; a pessimistic thinker, but one as far removed from nihilism as can be.

By: Georges Bataille
Translated by: Michael Richardson
Imprint: Verso
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 211mm, Width: 142mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 290g
ISBN: 9781844675609
ISBN 10: 1844675602
Publication Date: 01 November 2006
Audience: College/higher education , General/trade , A / AS level , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for The Absence of Myth: Writings on Surrealism

One of the most original and unsettling of those thinkers who, in the wake of Sade and Nietzsche, have confronted the possibility of thought in a world that has lost its myth of transcendence. -- Peter Brooks * New York Times Book Review * Bataille has survived the death of God. -- Jean-Paul Sartre Richardson's readable and accurate translations are carefully annotated, making this a useful collection for English readers. * Library Journal * The book is never less than fascinating and reveals Bataille as a wit as well as a thinker. -- Times Higher Education Supplement An illuminating historical document. * Literary Review * Challenging and terrifying. * Radical Philosophy *