Customer Reviews

Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing

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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.

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.

Other's have said much about this book so I will keep my review short. I've given this book to many friends of mine and explained that it is the first book I've read on writing that merits a reread. It is without catagory or direct instruction. It speaks on the art of writing, as well as the craft. Most importantly, it speaks of sacrifice. Frankly, I am tired of reading about or reading books from authors who give nothing of themselves in their art. Lispector, Kafka - where have all the dusty and tattered souls gone.

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.