Les Guérillères [Paperback]

Monique Wittig (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0807063010 | ISBN-13: 978-0807063019 | Publication Date: July 15, 1985

One of the most widely read and frequently cited feminist novels of our time.

"A delectable epic of sex warfare . . . an extraordinary leap of the imagination into the politics of oppression and revolt."
—Mary McCarthy

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ms. Wittig is a dazzling writer. Her words are lucid and gleaming like moonlight."--Edna O'Brien

"A delectable epic of sex warfare. . . . An extraordinary leap of the imagination into the politics of oppression and revolt."--Mary McCarthy

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (July 15, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807063010
• ISBN-13: 978-0807063019
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound, groundbreaking, important., June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Les Guérillères (Paperback)

Published originally in 1963, it was groundbreaking in its exquisite, poetic-stream-of-consciousness use of language (these days oft called "experimental"), its contribution to postmodern theory, feminist thought, utopian literature... really seminal stuff. And so yummy to read. Her vision is of a female (amazonian-like) revolution, a world in which the (patriarchal) strictures of language are dismantled to create something new entirely.

It's a landmark for its contribution, but also as an extraordinary piece of literature in itself. Prose so shining you want to lick it off the page.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fire circle chants, March 30, 2001

By 

"blissengine" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Les Guérillères (Paperback)

Through a series of dazzling prose poems, Wittig tells the tale of a tribe of women warriors overthrowing patriarchy, and she challenges gender constructs through her language. It's a powerful and inspirational book about sex warfare, rather like "The Handmaid's Tale" or some songs by Tori Amos. A definite radical feminist classic worth reading and re-reading.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars warfare, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Les Guérillères (Paperback)

This book is interesting, and perhaps groundbreaking. Unlike the previous reviewer, however, I'm not sure I'd want to call this original feminist text "seminal."