Simone Weil: An Anthology [Paperback]

Simone Weil (Author), Sian Miles (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2000

Philosopher, theologian, critic, sociologist, political activist -- Simone Weil was among the foremost thinkers of our time. Best known in this country for her theological writing, Weil wrote on a great variety of subjects ranging from classical philosophy and poetry, to modern labor, to the language of political discourse. The present anthology offers a generous collection of her work, including essays never before translated into English and many that have long been out of print. It amply confirms Elizabeth Hardwick's words that Simone Weil was "one of the most brilliant and original minds of twentieth-century France" and "a woman of transcendent intellectual gifts and the widest learning." A longtime Weil scholar, Sian Miles has selected essays representative of the wide sweep of Weil's work and provides a superb introduction that places Weil's work in context of her life and times.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

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

From the Inside Flap

Philosopher, theologian, critic, sociologist, political activist-Simone Weil was among the foremost thinkers of our time. Best known in this country for her theological writing, Weil wrote on a great variety of subjects ranging from classical philosophy and poetry, to modern labor, to the power of words in political discourse. The present anthology offers a generous collection of her work, including essays never before translated into English, many of which have long been out of print. It amply confirms Elizabeth Hardwick's words that Simone Weil was "one of the most brilliant mind of twentieth-century France" and "a woman of transcendent intellectual gifts and the widest learning." A long-time Weil scholar, Sian Miles has selected essays representative of the wide sweep of Weil's work and provides a superb introduction that places Weil's work in context of her life and times.

Sian Miles has been a recognized expert on the life and work of Simone Weil for many years. She did postgraduate research on Simone Weil in Paris, where she was assisted by Ms. Weil's mother. Ms. Miles has also worked on numerous translations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; First Edition Thus edition (September 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802137296
• ISBN-13: 978-0802137296
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A synopsis of Weil's thought, July 6, 2006

By 

Chiranjeeb Buragohain - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simone Weil: An Anthology (Paperback)

First a clarification: I am neither Christian nor particularly religious. Thus my opinions on Weil's writings are from a secular viewpoint. Moreover, like any truly great religious writing, Weil's writings should be read by everybody regardless of their religious affiliations, even if they are atheists.

This book contains a collection of essays by Weil and some excerpts from her book Gravity and Grace. To many people, Weil's writing style can be opaque and infuriating. I believe it was Auden who said that Weil does not attempt to persuade through her writing ---instead she uses her brilliant aphoristic style to make assertions. In their own way, her aphorisms and insights make her case far better than any reasoned argument.

The best essay in this collection is "The Iliad, or the Poem of Force". The key contention of the essay is that the main theme of Iliad is the degradation of humanity through the brute power of physical force. Achilles is the person through which the effect of physical force is manifested most clearly. Faced with the rage of Achilles, the Trojans are no more than timid subhuman beasts in front of a lion who slaughters them with no mercy. But the same awesome force degrades Achilles to a cruel beast ---by treating others inhmanely, he himself loses his human qualities of mercy and civilization until they are roused by the visit from Priam.

The other essays in the collection are good, but do not come close to the power of the essay on Iliad. Overall this book is a good introduction to the writings of Simone Weil. To the readers of this book, I would recommend "Gravity and Grace" which is the best of her books.