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 the beginning of an attempt to address this loss. His writings on this theme are the result of 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.
Introduced and translated by Michael Richardson.

About the Author

Georges Bataille, French essayist and novelist, was born in 1897. He converted to Catholicism, then to Marxism, and was interested in psychoanalysis and mysticism. As curator of the municipal library in Orleans, he led a relatively simple life, although he became involved, usually on the fringes, with the surrealist movement. He founded the literary review Critique in 1946, which he edited until his death in 1962, and was also a founder of the review Documents, which published many of the leading surrealist writers. His writing is a mixture of poetry and philosophy, fantasy and history, and his first novel, Story of the Eye, was written under the pseudonym of Lord Auch. Bataille's other works include the novels Blue of Noon and L'Abb� C, and the volumes of essays Eroticism and Literature and Evil.

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We are a general trade bookstore with new, used and rare books for sale. City Lights is located at the corner of Spring and Jackson Streets in Sylva, North Carolina, a small Main Street town nestled in the heart of the southern Appalachian Mountains. We share the literature of the region with the world and the world of good books with our community. Open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 24/7/365 at CityLightsNC.com

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Prices are in U.S. dollars. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express credit cards plus PayPal, money orders or checks in U.S. funds. Libraries invoiced with purchase order. North Carolina residents please add 6.75% sales tax or provide a resale tax number. Expedited and international shipping charges will be quoted with confirmation of order. Returns accepted (with prior notification) within 30 days of receipt if not as described. Digital photo available of any book cover, simpl...

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