This is a philosophical interpretation of the meaning for Nietzsche of his idea of eternal recurrence, as well as an exploration of Nietzsche's life and his critique of the culture of his times.
Pierre Klossowski Books
August 9, 1905 – August 12, 2001
Pierre Klossowski was a French writer, artist, and translator whose work often delves into the darker aspects of human psychology and societal conventions. His writing explores themes of desire, obsession, and illusion with profound philosophical insight. Through his provocative texts, Klossowski challenges traditional moral and ethical frameworks, inviting readers to contemplate the complexities of human nature. His unique literary style, influenced by his artistic background, lends his works a distinctive atmosphere and intellectual depth.
'I should have written you after my first reading of The Living Currency; it was already breath-taking and I should have responded. After reading it a few more times, I know it is the best book of our times.' Letter to Pierre Klossowski from Michel Foucault, winter 1970. Living Currency is the first English translation of Klossowski's La monnaie vivante. It offers an analysis of economic production as a mechanism of psychic production of desires and is a key work from this often overlooked but wonderfully creative French thinker.
Such a Deathly Desire
- 162 pages
- 6 hours of reading
This collection features thought-provoking essays that explore the intricate connections between language, literature, and the physical experience of embodiment. It delves into how our understanding of language shapes our perceptions of reality and aesthetics, offering fresh insights into the interplay between words and the human experience. Through a critical lens, the essays challenge conventional notions and invite readers to reconsider the role of language in shaping identity and culture.
Together these two novels comprise the most fascinating, obsessive, and erotic works of contemporary French fiction. Like the works of Georges Bataille, and those of the Marquis de Sade before him, Klossowski's fiction explores the connections between the mind and the body through a lens of sexuality. Both of these novels feature Octave, an elderly cleric; his striking young wife Roberte; and their nephew, Antoine in a series of sexual situations. But Klossowski's books are about theology as well, and this merging of the sexual with the religious makes this book one of the most painstakingly baroque and intellectual novels of our time.
Sade My Neighbour
- 166 pages
- 6 hours of reading
Such a Deathly Desire: Un Si Funeste Desir
- 150 pages
- 6 hours of reading
Exploring the intersection of language and literature, this collection of essays delves into the aesthetics of embodiment, offering thought-provoking insights on how physicality influences literary expression. The author challenges conventional notions, inviting readers to reconsider the relationship between the body and the written word. Through a series of compelling arguments, the essays engage with themes of identity, perception, and the sensory experience of reading, making it a significant contribution to contemporary literary criticism.
"Die Gesetze der Gastfreundschaft" ist Klossowskis bekanntestes Werk und umfasst die "Roberte"-Trilogie. Der Roman behandelt die von Christentum geprägte Sexualität und reflektiert die Kunst. Mit einer Zweideutigkeit der Handlungselemente lädt Klossowski den Leser ein, an einem Mysterium teilzuhaben.
Was Gilles Deleuze beiträgt und vollendet, konnte sich im Kontext der letzten Generationen nur mit einer instinktiven Hartnäckigkeit bewerkstelligen lassen: das Unlehrbare ins Lehren einführen (.) Das Unlehrbare lehren: gewiss musste Nietzsche leben und leiden, damit ein solches Vorhaben nicht leer und absurd blieb. Aber Nietzsche, der denKampf lieferte, um eine derartige Position zu erringen, tat es, indem er das Lehren aufgab. Zweifellos befand sich Deleuze ineiner begünstigten Lage aufgrund seiner Affinitäten zu einem anderen exemplarischen Geist, dessen Erkundungen benachbarteZonen erschlossen: Michel Foucault. Beide haben schlechterdings gemeinsam: die Liquidierung des Prinzips der Identität. Anlässlich des 100. Geburtstags von Klossowski zwei Texte, die er 1972 für Gilles Deleuze geschrieben hat:1. Abschweifung von einem apokryphen Porträt2. Roberte und Gulliver. Divertimento für Gilles Deleuze (Theaterstück)Gefolgt von einem Gespräch mit Fance Huser
Klossowski arbeitet gleichzeitig mit verschiedenen Medien: Literatur, Mythologie, Übersetzung, Film, Philosophie, Malerei, um sein fast schon stereotypes Thema auszudrücken: das Simulakrum, „das Spiel der erst behaupteten und dann geleugneten Identität… Trugbild, Ähnlichkeit, Gleichzeitigkeit, Vortäuschung und Verstellung“. (Michel Foucault)
