The Poetics of Space [Paperback]

Gaston Bachelard (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 1994

A magical book. . . . A prism through which all worlds from literary creation to housework to aesthetics to carpentry take on enhanced-and enchanted-significances. Every reader of it will never see ordinary spaces in ordinary ways. Instead the reader will see with the soul of the eye, the glint of Gaston Bachelard. -from the foreword by John R. Stilgoe

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is a deep, magical, densely captivating book about space, our homes, how we live in them, and how dwellings and space affect us; it is as much a book of philosophy as a work of serious literature. It requires careful, preferably leisurely reading, with the possibility of moments to pause and digest and re-read the words. It will change the way you look at your home and your life, providing a deeper, more insightful relationship with the spaces you occupy.

From Publishers Weekly

French phenomenologist Bachelard's classic study of the psychological affects of domestic space.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press; First Edition edition (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807064734
• ISBN-13: 978-0807064733
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Movements > Phenomenology
  • #7 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Metaphysics
  • #35 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Consciousness & Thought

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

171 of 172 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A deep, inspiring book that changed how I look at things November 1, 1997

By Matthew G. Belge

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Poetics of Space is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. It is to be taken slowly - the author's primary idea is that people crave spaces that inspire them to daydream. The style of the book is one that inspires daydreams itself; you will suddenly find that you have placed the book in your lap and you were off daydreaming! Poetics of Space is a methodical, carefully argued book which tells us that we read spaces like we read a book. There is a distinct psychology to each type of space - attics, cellars, the forest, and nests are just some of the spaces examined. The author was chair of the Philosophy department at the Sorbonne. For most of his life, he examined the philosophy of science, but in his later years he turned to artistic reverie as his main subject. The book is written with thought, love, and passion and is a tour-de-force. Highly recommended to those who enjoy poetry, philosophy, architecture or art.

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-Opening Book for Those Interested in Place or Language December 26, 2003

By Kirsten Jacobson

Format:Paperback

Though you may not immediately think that there is a connection between language and the places where you live and pass through, your sense of your surroundings and of language itself will be transformed after you read Gaston Bachelard's "The Poetics of Space." Bachelard argues that language--especially poetry--can reveal hidden aspects of our experience of space, especially of our home space. For example, he considers how common phrases such as "go up to the attic" and "go down to the basement" are revelatory of our typical sense that stairs to an attic are stairs one ascends, while stairs to the basement are stairs one descends--in spite of the fact that both sets of stairs must be equally ascended and descended. As he does with other such observations, Bachelard extends his observation regarding the directionality of different staircases into a discussion of how the attic and basement hold different roles in our daily and imaginary lives. In addition to exploring how we experience space and place, Bachelard equally attends to the way in which language can function either as a daily and common means of communication or as a site of new and creative insight; roughly speaking, he argues that poetry happens when the motions of language itself open us up to a new way of seeing or understanding something. By reading this beautifully written and engaging book, you will likely come to understand or see anew experiences from childhood through adulthood that pertain to places where your have lived, grown up, felt comfortable or alienated, had a feeling of wonder or fear, etc. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the experience of place or space, in language and what it can reveal to us, or in what counts as poetry rather than as common everyday language.

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful June 2, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Bachelard's classic is a beautiful contribution to phenomenology. It does not so much "talk" about space and place, but rather gives the reader a thoughtful experience of the subjectivities and meanings of space. For example, Bachelard presents poetic interpretations of enclosures, inside/outside, and other spatial phenomemon while applying it to such entities as the nest, the shell, the corner, the drawer, etc. A work to savor, slowly.