The Third Body [Hardcover]

Helene Cixous (Author), Keith Cohen (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1999

Jacques Derrida has called Cixous the greatest contemporary French writer.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Cixous, called the greatest contemporary French writer by Jacques Derrida, does not direct her works to the general public. This narrative, originally published in 1970, is almost surreal in its intoxicating evocation of a woman and her male lover as one being. There is no plot, just sensation and many physical descriptions revealing the couple's interconnectedness, their feelings when they see and leave each other, their relationship with her parents, and the link between marriage and death. Mathematics, a lizard, and a mouse all play roles. There is considerable literary punning, with many historical and philosophical references and many allusions to the works of 19th-century German writer Heinrich von Kleist. Unconventional writing, obviously intense and inspired, this will appeal primarily to academic audiences.AAnn Irvine, Montgomery Cty. P.L., Silver Spring, MD
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The Third Body ($24.95; Aug.; 168 pp.; 0-8101-1687-1). This early (1970) concoction by the French feminist critic and (anti-?) novelist examines its narrator's relationship with her lovera relationship that in itself assumes in her busy mind its own identity. The resulting ``third body'' is composed of (and discomposed by) all she knows and fantasizes about herself, him, and them. The resulting meditation, though not without wit and even infrequent playfulness, is utterly devoid of narrative tension (though, to be fair, ``she'' does at one point swallow a fly). The luckless fourth body (the reader's) will probably not remain awake long enough to partake of any subsequent signs of life (there ain't many). -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: Northwestern University Press; 1 edition (August 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810116871
• ISBN-13: 978-0810116870
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars worth the battle, October 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Third Body (Hardcover)

I have never had to fight so hard to get through a book, and it was worth every word. Intense image, amazing passion, harsh honesty. It was reading poetry as prose, becoming so engulfed with an image that it could take hours to move on to the next page. It was just amazing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Each paragraph a poem, December 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Third Body (Hardcover)

This amazing book is thick with literary allusions, verbal play and passionate response to being human, to being in love. That might make it sound dense and too difficult but Cixous' love of language and love of playing with language, clever insights and sincere voice along with her sensous responses, makes this book a rewarding experience. It will not be a book you read quickly but it is also not one you will forget quickly.