Joseph Acquisto Book order

Exploring the rise of modern pessimism in nineteenth-century France, this work delves into its aesthetic, epistemological, ethical, and political dimensions. It highlights the shift from empirical verification to verisimilitude in discussions of pessimism, fostering a dialogue between philosophy and literature. The book examines the contrasting views of nonfiction writers and the ways novelists and poets depict characters grappling with pessimism's implications. Ultimately, it argues for the relevance of pessimism as a viable approach to living well in contemporary society.

Exploring the interplay between music and memory, this study examines the evolution of poetic aesthetics in French literature from the 1860s to the 1930s. It delves into how prominent poets like Baudelaire and Mallarmé, alongside lesser-known figures Ghil and Royère, challenged traditional notions of lyricism. The book raises critical questions about the diminishing role of music in early twentieth-century poetry, offering insights into the changing landscape of poetic expression during this transformative period.

This book is about reading Proust’s novel via philosophical and musicological approaches to “modern” listening. It articulates how insights into the way we listen to and understand classical music inform the creation of literary meaning. It asks: are we to take at face value the ideas about art that the novel contains, or are those part of the fiction? Is there a difference between what the novel says and what it does, and how can music provide a key to answering that question? According to this study, Proust asks us to temporalize our interpretation by recognizing the distance between initial and final experiences of the novel, and by being open to the ways in which it challenges attempts at interpretive closure. Proust’s novel responds to the kind of attentive and eternally changing perspectives that can be generated from music and our attempts to make sense of it.

Focusing on the reinterpretation of the castaway theme, this work delves into how "solitary adventure" serves as a lens for examining broader literary and cultural questions in modern French literature. Joseph Acquisto explores the evolution of the robinsonnade from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, highlighting the interplay between reading, solitude, and literary traditions. Through philosophical readings of various authors, he enriches our understanding of the castaway myth and its significant impact on the literary landscape in France.