Chora L Works: Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman [Paperback]

Jacques Derrida (Author), Peter Eisenman (Author), Jeffrey Kipnis (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The Monacelli Press (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885254407
• ISBN-13: 978-1885254405
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,426,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book because of Eisenman, October 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Chora L Works: Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman (Paperback)

Yes, Peter Eisenman is quite a fool, as the other reviewers' remarks make aptly clear. He does not measure up to Hadid or Libeskind, two architects among many others in an especially stong contemporary field who vie for 'best project' in serious international competitions. No, do not buy this book because of Eisenman -- any more than you would buy any other book because it had his name on it.

But this book was not, thank God, written by one person, which is perhaps why the other reviewers fail to notice what's so special about it. The significant essays in this book are by Jacques Derrida, and what's more they give very elegant, fine philosophical answers to difficult questions that have motivated Derrida's thought since the 60s -- but until this book came out one could only guess at the fuller technical philosophical context of Derrida's thought in, say, Of Grammatology. So skip Eisenman - as even Derrida was forced to do and end his relation with Eisenman shortly after this book came out, when he became irritated with the man's complete vacuousness and inability to comprehend anything remotely theoretical.

In short, strip it of Eisenman, discard the punch-card ballot box look (apparently the publisher is located in Florida?), and take the Derrida. You'll be glad you did. The book merits 5 stars without the BS, but gets about 3 stars due to the cluttered context.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars superfluous metaphor, January 9, 2007

By 

Gabriela I. Santos (brasil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chora L Works: Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman (Paperback)

It is strange that a book dedicated to present deconstruction and chora actually "plays" of representing it. Derrida's reading on plato's chora is indeed relevant to architecture. It is not an easy reading, which is typical of many of derrida's writings. Unfortunately, this book becomes yet more difficult to read with this "funny" perfurated edition. Different from Deconstruction, it is not an easy task to interpret the meaning of those holes. They are certainly dispensable.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Simply Ridiculous, April 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Chora L Works: Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman (Paperback)

OK. So we all know that Eisenman is architecture's biggest fool, and it is easy to add to the lore of humor about this intellectually pathetic nincompoop, but if you had any doubts about how much of a con-man he really is, this book will dispel such lingering thoughts. Firstly, you have to see past the incredible arrogance of publishing a work that is perforated with holes, eliminating any effective opportunity to read the pages. Eisenman apologists (mostly gullible students, or intellectual wannabe's), will make the most infantile claims about this gimmick, citing it as 'challenging', transgressive' and all the other predictable buzzwords used to justify the rubbish that is written in the name of critical discourse today. Bear in mind too, that Jacques Derrida abandoned all communication with Eisenman when he eventually realised that Eisenman really had nothing of interest to add to contemporary theoretical debate, and admitted that this collaboration was a professional embarrassment. - In truth, the small holes may be the only worthwhile part of this otherwise ridiculous book.