Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing [Paperback]

Helene Cixous (Author), Susan Sellers (Translator), Sarah Cornell (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0231076592 | ISBN-13: 978-0231076593

Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing is a poetic, insightful, and ultimately moving exploration of 'the strange science of writing.' In a magnetic, irresistible narrative, Cixous reflects on the writing process and explores three distinct areas essential for 'great' writing: The School of the Dead -- the notion that something or someone must die in order for good writing to be born; The School of Dreams -- the crucial role dreams play in literary inspiration and output; and The School of Roots -- the importance of depth in the 'nether realms' in all aspects of writing.

Cixous's love of language and passion for the written word is evident on every page. Her emotive style draws heavily on the writers she most admires: the Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector, the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, the Austrian novelists Ingeborg Bachmann and Thomas Bernhard, Dostoyevsky and, most of all, Kafka.

(Jacques Derrida )

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Cixous ( The Book of Promethea , LJ 4/1/91) presupposes from her reader a good knowledge of the works of several authors who deeply influenced her philosophy of writing: particularly Clarice Lispector, Marina Tsvetaeva, Ingeborg Bachman, and Franz Kafka, all of whom are minutely discussed (with a good dose of biblical quotes). Originally presented as the 1990 annual Welleck Library Lectures (Univ. of California, Irvine), the work examines the nature of the writing process, which, according to Cixous, draws for inspiration on three sources: death, dreams, and the writer's "nether realms." Cixous, originally from Algiers, emigrated to France in 1955, became professor of English, and created a feminist studies center. Her circle of admirers recognize her innovative approach to literature, but for English-speaking readers who have not read any other works of Cixous, this tripartite musing on the creative process, though well translated, may prove difficult to absorb.
- Danielle Mihram, Univ. of Southern California Lib. , Los Angeles
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Hélène Cixous is today, in my view, the greatest writer in what I will call my language, the French language if you like. And I am weighing my words as I say that. For a great writer must be a poet-thinker, very much a poet and a very thinking poet. -- Review

Hlne Cixous is today, in my view, the greatest writer in the French language. -- Jacques Derrida

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (April 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231076592
• ISBN-13: 978-0231076593
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #617,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to categorize (a good thing) September 6, 2000

By Hilde Kaiser

I knew of Cixous, had a general idea of her doing work toward a kind of ecriture feminine (feminine writing), but hadn't actually read her writing until I read this book while tanning in Southern New Jersey this past June. This book was on a recommended reading list for a writing class I was taking, though I think I'm the only one who read it; it's not at all your usual writer's-help book, but that's good. It is dense, genre-breaking academic-poetic writing that I ended up having to get out of the sun to read. This book is comprised of a set of essays originally given as lectures, separated into "The School of the Dead," "The School of Dreams," and "The School of Roots." The writers that resonate with Cixous are "descenders, explorers of the lowest and the deepest," (a concept introduced in "The School of the Dead") and include some I knew -- Kafka, Dostoevsky, Genet, and Ingeborg Bachmann, and others I hadn't -- Clarice Lispector and Marina Tsvetaeva. I see there's a Derrida "endorsement" both here on the Amazon website and on the cover of the book, and so, as you would expect, this book's meditation on the connection between language and desire, between writing and the body, some wordplay and deconstruction of the very shape of letters or the names of writers is what you might expect from a French poststructuralist. What set this book apart for me was its attitude toward the works cited. Cixous doesn't use literature to promote flashy ideas; it's seriously personal work, a "Schooling" on thinking about one's own writing, she's actually interested in defining "truth." The first part of "The Dead," especially the kind of cataloguing of "deaths-as-beginnings" was fascinating. I found the "School of Roots" section absolutely packed with virtuoso readings and ideas. Her closing, "Toward a book without an author" is the perfect payoff culmination of her/our hard work from the pages that preceded it. You'll have to read it yourself to see if you "get it" / agree with it. Now I'm inspired to read more Cixous.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to categorize (a good thing) September 6, 2000

By Hilde Kaiser

I knew of Cixous, had a general idea of her doing work toward a kind of ecriture feminine (feminine writing), but hadn't actually read her writing until I read this book while tanning in Southern New Jersey this past June. This book was on a recommended reading list for a writing class I was taking, though I think I'm the only one who read it; it's not at all your usual writer's-help book, but that's good. It is dense, genre-breaking academic-poetic writing that I ended up having to get out of the sun to read. This book is comprised of a set of essays originally given as lectures, separated into "The School of the Dead," "The School of Dreams," and "The School of Roots." The writers that resonate with Cixous are "descenders, explorers of the lowest and the deepest," (a concept introduced in "The School of the Dead") and include some I knew -- Kafka, Dostoevsky, Genet, and Ingeborg Bachmann, and others I hadn't -- Clarice Lispector and Marina Tsvetaeva. I see there's a Derrida "endorsement" both here on the Amazon website and on the cover of the book, and so, as you would expect, this book's meditation on the connection between language and desire, between writing and the body, some wordplay and deconstruction of the very shape of letters or the names of writers is what you might expect from a French poststructuralist. What set this book apart for me was its attitude toward the works cited. Cixous doesn't use literature to promote flashy ideas; it's seriously personal work, a "Schooling" on thinking about one's own writing, she's actually interested in defining "truth." The first part of "The Dead," especially the kind of cataloguing of "deaths-as-beginnings" was fascinating. I found the "School of Roots" section absolutely packed with virtuoso readings and ideas. Her closing, "Toward a book without an author" is the perfect payoff culmination of her/our hard work from the pages that preceded it. You'll have to read it yourself to see if you "get it" / agree with it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential for Writers and Critics September 20, 2010

By Bill R. Moore

This uncategorizable book is essential for anyone interested in creative writing, literary criticism, or literary history. Like many, I read it for a college class - Advanced Composition, which describes the book well. One might have the impression that it is a writing manual, which it is in a sense, but it is very unorthodox. Like all good writers, Cixous knows that writing cannot really be taught; what works for one person simply does not work for everyone - if anyone else. The most anyone can do is inspire others, and one of the best ways of doing so is showing what inspired you. Cixous does just this, delving into some of her biggest inspirations and influences and analyzing the writing process as it seems to her. This is not a "How To" manual but does what those are supposed to accomplish far better than they almost ever do. The book is very personal, showing the power of the particular and thus inspiring readers more than dry instruction ever could. I have read hundreds, maybe thousands of books, but no other has given me such an itch to write. The work is very short but takes a while to read, not only because it is dense but because it makes us want to put it down often - a compliment in this case, as it makes us want to write. Cixous mixes in much literary criticism, theory, and history, sometimes of well-known sources but at least as often not. It thus helps to have some background in these areas and/or in Cixous, but the dedicated will find much to like and appreciate in any case. This is not light reading but is highly recommended for those wanting to improve their writing by unconventional means or find out more about writing and writers from someone well qualified.