A broad selection of titles available
'[Maurice] Blanchot’s fiction draws the reader in by upsetting expectations, we are confronted by characters who are in situations they don’t completely understand. The settings are mysterious, almost surreal. As we read further into the story, hoping for greater clarity—why is this character here? Where did he come from?, etc.—meaning and resolution are constantly deferred. The lack of closure in Blanchot’s fiction gives it at an odd kind of suspense and his spare but poetic language contributes to creating a very distinct atmosphere.'
Established in 1977 by George Quasha and Susan Quasha, American publishers Barrytown / Station Hill have been pioneers in promoting and publishing the work of author/critic Maurice Blanchot. From his first novel, Thomas the Obscure, to collections of critical essays such as The Gaze of Orpheus, the publishers are among the first to support English editions of Blanchot's work, translated by Robert Lamberton, Lydia Davis and Paul Auster.
For some time I've wanted to become properly acquainted with Blanchot's writing. Having read through The Writing of the Disaster, and sections of Friendship and The Space of Literature, I'm intrigued to find out what his fiction is like. Station Hill offers a very convenient Maurice Blanchot anthology that includes their entire collection of English translations, but some of the stand-alone editions look so good I think I would prefer to buy them separately.
2 Comments:
I haven't read much of the fiction either, but I recently bought the Station Hill anthology and look forward to starting it. The single editions so indeed look much nicer though.
The one thing that I did read, that was sort of fictional, was "The Instant of My Death; Demeure," by Blanchot; Derrida. It is GREAT.
In one volume, you get a very short story (about 4 pages max) by Blanchot that is said to be autobiographical, and then a very long essay (about 100 pages) by Derrida on Blanchot's story and, more generally, the problem of fiction and testimony. Talk about value for your buck! I highly recommend that.
Have you read Clarice Lispector? I love everything that is on your reading list, and she is one of my favorite writers (if not THE favorite-- yep, she might even nudge Beckett out of the top slot), so I think there is a strong possibility that her writing would speak to you as well. "The Foreign Legion" and "Family Ties" are two collections of short stories. Both blew my mind. I am not joking.
Hello Annemarie,
I think I'll be opting for the anthology after all. The single-text editions look wonderful, but my pocket just doesn't stretch far.
'The Instant of my Death' sounds great; I've read Simon Critchley mentioning it somewhere. I'll have to look into it. Thanks for the tip!
And as for Clarice Lispector... Well... That will be going to the top of my list. I've read a short piece on Lispector by Cixous in 'Readings', where she also discusses the poetics of Blanchot, Joyce and Kafka. They all seem to be linked in some intrinsic way; I think it's about time I filled that gap in my knowledge.
As always, thanks for your comments and your input. It's always great to hear new recommendations!
Rhys
Post a Comment