Book/70127

Mad Love (French Modernist Library)

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ISBN13: 9780803260726

Condition: USED - VERY GOOD

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Product Description

Mad Love has been acknowledged an undisputed classic of the surrealist movement since its first publication in France in 1937. Its adulation of love as both mystery and revelation places it in the most abiding of literary traditions, but its stormy history and technical difficulty have prevented it from being translated into English until now.

"There has never been any forbidden fruit. Only temptation is divine," writes André Breton, leader of the surrealists in Paris in the 1920s and '30s. Mad Love is dedicated to defying "the widespread opinion that love wears out, like the diamond, in its own dust." Celebrating breton's own love and lover, the book unveils the marvelous in everyday encounters and the hidden depths of ordinary things.

Customer Reviews:
pretty genius

I found it fairly difficult to make it through most of this book. I should add, difficult yet rewarding. The first few sections reminded me of "Nadja" with their seemingly meaningless description of mundane activities. As I went through the book I realized, as I did with "Nadja," that these opening chapters are essential to establishing both the attitude and ideas of the story. As I got further and further into it I found that the concepts where easier to grasp and the text easier to read and I must admit that I was frustrated with the fist part of the book and certain other parts that I felt were irrelevant to the subject or just plain annoying. But as I finished the last chapter it all came together for me and I felt the entire concept and reasoning of the book was elucidated in the end. A book I probably would have given 3 stars to for the first half surprised me with its beauty and genius in the end.

This book is essentially essays and ideas elucidating Breton's concept of "Mad Love." It was written for his love interest at the time and some parts of the book include her or speak of and to her but a lot of it is directed to the reader. His beautiful imagery and abstract description drag the reader through his bizarre ideas. As the "story" (there really is no narrative in this book) builds on itself and the essence of the blossoms in your mind, you just might find yourself with a new idea of love. In the end I felt very rewarded with this new idea of love and almost felt like a better person for it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Surrealists or Andre Breton. I do not recommend this for people looking for an easy read or people who haven't read any other Breton.

Monotonous and Banal Work
Breton, the overrated, dull and inept absolutist leader of the "so-called iconoclastic" surrealists was not as bombastic as people who worship him would have you believe. This 'work', merely an arranged compendium of useless episodes and scenes, is completey boring and without any enrichment, all it does is tire the reader. The style is marginally academic, that is to say, it is written in long, flaccid sentences with too much self-exaltation included. I was bored by the entire book, Breton imagines that it was revolutionary to write about fractured and obtuse occurrences which have nothing to do with anything except his own idea of importance. He meanders through pretentious descriptions which are trite. Don't be fooled by his sycophantic adherents who believe that he actually "invented" surrealism and art. I'd rather read the true ramblings of a madman than this ordure.

Tough one
I suppose that this book is going to be read by the ones who are familiar with work of Breton. Let us just say, for the sake of beeng, that I do not encourage others to read it. You will soon lose yourself in endless circles that great nadrealist has woven into his text.
Very complicated to understand this book presents authors view on love - or as he says it - "only possible love is mad love". Now, this statemnt can be observed as a kind of tautological experiment, but it can also be observed as poetic value in itslef.
In the beeginig very fluent in his narrative, Breton, almost instantly loses himself in some sort of weird hermetism, in which there are motives and object that are totaly undechiperable, at least to no one but himself.
Read this only if you are just studying french modernism or something, otherwise skip it...

A Convulsive-Beauty Masterpiece
Andre Breton's Mad Love is truly a work of art.Written in a surrealist manner it celebrates love and lovers. It finds beauty in such ordinary things such as iron masks, spoons, and trees. Never has there been another book that promotes romanticism such as this. Bravo Breton! You have made me proud to be a person in a monogomous relationship. It is a true celebration of the heart and of the soul.