Dissemination [Paperback]

Jacques Derrida (Author), Barbara Johnson (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226143341 | ISBN-13: 978-0226143347 | Publication Date: February 15, 1983

"The English version of Dissemination [is] an able translation by Barbara Johnson . . . . Derrida's central contention is that language is haunted by dispersal, absence, loss, the risk of unmeaning, a risk which is starkly embodied in all writing. The distinction between philosophy and literature therefore becomes of secondary importance. Philosophy vainly attempts to control the irrecoverable dissemination of its own meaning, it strives—against the grain of language—to offer a sober revelation of truth. Literature—on the other hand—flaunts its own meretriciousness, abandons itself to the Dionysiac play of language. In Dissemination—more than any previous work—Derrida joins in the revelry, weaving a complex pattern of puns, verbal echoes and allusions, intended to 'deconstruct' both the pretension of criticism to tell the truth about literature, and the pretension of philosophy to the literature of truth."—Peter Dews, New Statesman

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Barbara Johnson is a professor of English and Comparative Literature at Harvard University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (February 15, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226143341
• ISBN-13: 978-0226143347
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacques Derrida (1930-2004), was born in Algeria, has been called the most famous philosopher of our time. He was the author of a number of books, including Writing and Difference, which came to be seen as defining texts of postmodernist thought.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful translation of a masterwork, April 26, 2000

By 

david dault (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dissemination (Paperback)

Where Derrida is concerned, the translator must be of equal worth to the superlative standards of the text. One of the reasons the man is considerd so hard to read is that he exploits ambiguity and wordplay in (his native) language to its fullest extent. For Barbara Johnson, the complexity of the french is not an obstacle, but allows her to search out parallel plays in english that mimic those in the original at the same time that they add their own nuances to this amazingly rich work. Understanding Derrida is important, but equally important is understanding what he is *not* - particularly when it comes to his philosophical method. This work helps to show clearly what a high regard he holds for the texts he "re-reads", and his particular use of the methods of deconstruction. For those new to Derrida, I recommend reading this work in conjunction with _Derrida for Beginners_ by Jim Powell, published by Writers and Readers press in New York. Powell's book helps you keep your bearings amongst the many twists and turns of _Dissemintation_.

15 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Admittedly Limited Perspective, April 30, 2000

By 

Todd Pytel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dissemination (Paperback)

My experience with this book is mostly limited to "Plato's Pharmacy," so my comments apply primarily to that essay, even though the book very much has structure as a whole. This is a nice introduction to Derrida, though still a very difficult read. If nothing else, the text that Derrida is "rereading" (Plato's Phaedrus, mostly) is short, though deep, and might well have been read previously by someone interested in philosophy. This spares the reader the trouble of engaging a new and difficult text merely as a preliminary to reading Derrida. And since Plato's Pharmacy is a reasonably short, though challenging, essay, it gives the reader the opportunity to finish a mostly self-contained piece by Derrida quickly enough so as not to have totally forgotten what was being discussed in the first place. Plato's Pharmacy revolves around Derrida's central questions about language and meaning. At the same time, it is recognized in the world of Platonic philosophy as an important interpretation (I have a significant interest in Plato, and found it fascinating as a commentary). So, while I am far from being well-read in Derrida, I recommend this book a challenging, interesting, and relatively accessible starting point.

14 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly challenging, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dissemination (Paperback)

If you can't understand Derrida very well, this is the book to read. Derrida is a consummate master of weaving word play and deft theory in his analysis of Mallarme, Plato and femininity. The book should especially be read by feminists, because his understanding of the feminine is the best I have seen from any male theorist in a long time. This book also figured prominently in my master's thesis that I wrote several years ago. So get this book!