Blanchot: Literature and the Right to Death

Literature & Writing Reviews & Recommendations
1

Just wondering if anyone here has read (or continues to read) the essays of the late Maurice Blanchot on literature and writing? These essays were published in english by Station Hill Press in the early 80’s as ‘The Gaze of Orpheus and Other Literary Essays’ and latter bundled in ‘The Station Hill Blanchot Reader’.

Personally I’ve had the Reader close at hand for about 7 years now. Until recently all attempts to enter the essays has proved dreadfully difficult. Suddenly that’s different. Funny how these things can change.

It also feels odd to be writing this. For this is not a recommendation (what could I possibly recommend in Blanchot?). But I am curious.

– Paul

2

I remember to have been reading L’espace literaire some twenty years ago, but I’m not sure I remember what it was about. Since I’m starting to read Bataille, I’ll probably have to return to Blanchot a little.

Why not recommending reading it? If he influenced Deridda and Levinas, he should have some use.

Paolo

3

I dunno… perhaps because the act of recommending seems completely out of place, i.e. belongs to a paradigm or mental habit that is completely incommensurable with Blanchot…

– Paul