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Visions of Excess

Selected Writings, 1927-1939
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Visions of Excess collects Georges Bataille's pioneering prewar writings, exploring themes of eroticism, primal urges, and society's hidden forces. Challenging traditional economic views centred on utility and rational consumption, Bataille proposes a theory embracing human tendencies toward loss, waste, and destruction. This influential work is essential for understanding both historical and contemporary critical theory.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Ideal for students and scholars of philosophy, surrealism, and critical theory, as well as readers interested in unconventional perspectives on society and human behaviour.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Since the publication of Visions of Excess in 1985, there has been an explosion of interest in the work of Georges Bataille. The French surrealist continues to be important for his groundbreaking focus on the visceral, the erotic, and the relation of society to the primeval.

This collection of prewar writings remains the volume in which Bataille's positions are most clearly, forcefully, and obsessively put forward. The book challenges the notion of a "closed economy" predicated on utility, production, and rational consumption and develops an alternative theory that takes into account the human tendency to lose, destroy, and waste.

This collection is indispensable for an understanding of the future as well as the past of current critical theory.

Georges Bataille (1897-1962), a librarian by profession, was founder of the French review Critique. He is the author of several books, including Story of the Eye, The Accursed Share, Erotism, and The Absence of Myth.

Series: Theory and History of Literature

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  • Visions of Excess
    Since the publication of Visions of Excess in 1985, there has been an explosion of interest in the work of Georges Bataille. The French surrealist continues to be important for his groundbreaking focus on the visceral, the erotic, and the relation of society to the primeval. This collection of prewar writings remains the volume in which Bataille's positions are most...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780816612833

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 June 1985

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Minnesota Press

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 304

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