Exquisite Pain [Hardcover]

Sophie Calle (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

"On her return to Paris, she asked a group of friends to answer the question, 'When did you most suffer?'. Their stories of pain, each of them accompanied by a photograph, interplay with Calle's own story and daily reflections - 'It is now 75 days since the man I love left me' - as she gradually comes to terms with the rejection and her equilibrium is restored.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sophie Calle was born in Paris in 1953. Since the 1980s, her installations have received international recognition at galleries and museums throughout the world, including the Tate in London and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 281 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500511985
• ISBN-13: 978-0500511985
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prepare to peer into the meaningless void that is your existence and revel in misery., July 15, 2005

By 

A Customer (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exquisite Pain (Hardcover)

This is not a book for sunny afternoons in park gardens; the backdrop for this book should be bleak unforgiving concrete cityscapes, silhouetted against dark and brooding winter skies. At least that's what it was like when read it (I live in Birmingham, you see bleak is what it does best).

If you've ever been in love and lost that person; though careless words, deeds or just through circumstances outside of your control. Then you'll know all about that feeling of emptiness, like a hole in you guts can never fill.

In away no other book ever has, this book touched me and funny enough it felt great. It's like, it's OK to be upset when you've been dumped and yes it is the end of the bloody world and no there aren't plenty of sodding fish in the sea. Of course we all know, it isn't and there are.

As you read this book you can't help but project yourself into the stories of desperation and despair and there is the beauty of it, it's like a hit of misery to cheer you up. Reach in and read about someone who's had it worse (I found myself discreetly shedding the odd tear on the rush hour train) and all of a sudden it's not so bad out here, in the real world.

Lift your self out of the humdrum of modern life and sink into despair, there you will find the most `Exquisite Pain'.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite Pain, March 19, 2006

By 

Sarah Burris (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exquisite Pain (Hardcover)

I saw her photo installation of Exquisite Pain in NYC summer 2005, and this is the whole show beautifully captured in book format. Sophie Calle is by far my favorite artist. She triggers your emotions pulling you into her own story of a lost love and others shared moments of exquisite pain. Perfect for your art book collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Beautiful Book, May 16, 2011

By 

Francis Krammer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exquisite Pain (Hardcover)

Could not afford to but this when I saw the exhibition in NYC at The DIA Art Foundation, was thrilled to find a barely used copy. Lovely format - really an "artist's book" as well as document of Calle's enthralling installation of this project. Highly recommend this poignant piece of art.