Luminous Debris: Reflecting on Vestige in Provence and Languedoc [Paperback]

Gustaf Sobin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0756765099 | ISBN-13: 978-0756765095 | Publication Date: March 1, 1999

Interpreting vestige with the eloquence of a poet & the knowledge of an archaeologist, Sobin explores the landscapes of Provence & Languedoc in S. France. Drawing on prehistory, protohistory, & Gallo-Roman antiquity, the 26 essays here focus on particular places & artifacts for their relevance. A Bronze Age earring & the rippling wave pattern in Massalian ceramic are more than archival curiosities; they invite inquiry & speculation on existence itself. As much travel writing as meditative discourse, this book is enhanced by a prose that questions & reflects on the materials invoked. Sobin engages the reader with precise descriptions of those very materials & the messages to be gleaned from their examination, be they existential, ethical, or political. Illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With the sensual, lyrical, accretive methods of a gifted essayist, Sobin puts forward a radical agenda: to enter the conversation between past and present, to place ourselves within 'the dialectic between two orders of time.' After reading this book one feels more humble to be modern, but more proud to be human." -- Hungry Mind Review, Winter 2000 issue --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"A wonderful, addictive book. Gustaf Sobin's prose combines descriptive precision with evocative power, calling to mind the poetic-scholarly writing of Barthes or Bachelard. As he records and links the scattered fragments, some infinitesimal, of a regional past, Sobin offers wonder, regret, and often a sharp critique of contemporary society."--James Clifford, author of Routes: Travel and Translation in the Late 20th Century --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Diane Pub Co (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756765099
• ISBN-13: 978-0756765095
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant book: History that reads like poetry..., February 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Luminous Debris: Reflecting on Vestige in Provence and Languedoc (Hardcover)

Gustav Sobin's book is a fascinating archaeological and anthropological exploration of the tantalizing remnants of human history in Southern France... This book reads like poetry, and yet it is guaranteed to fill its readers with the wonders of human life, history, and the passing of time... The author's deep understanding of past events lends authority and credibility to the magnificence of his vision and the clear style of his writing... I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Insight, Overdone, February 11, 2002

By 

Michael Baker (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luminous Debris: Reflecting on Vestige in Provence and Languedoc (Paperback)

The backflap compares Sobin's style to Barthes and more than one reviewer calls his prose poetical, so that may be warning enough. It's too bad, because the book's digressions and excursions through the more mundane fields of history are really quite engrossing. Sobin really does have a way of making you see through the otherwise overlooked object into the past, then making it reflect the present as well. By the end, while his stylistic tics had become maddening, I felt oddly informed about the various tides of history to have washed over the Provencal region, and the jetsam they left in receding.