Who is more important: the reader, or the writer? Originally published in French in 1966, Pierre Macherey s first and most famous work, A Theory of Literary Production dared to challenge perceived wisdom, and quickly established him as a pivotal figure in literary theory. In this provocative work, Macherey puts the focus as much on the reader as the writer, stating that the very act of reading is a form of production in its own right, generating interpretation and meanings which are beyond the control of the author." Part of the birth of a whole new branch of post-structuralist theory, Macherey's work also influenced a new generation of critics - among them Jacques Derrida, his contemporary, and Terry Eagleton. His ideas have also led some observers to claim that he announced 'the death of the author' fully two years before Roland Barthes' famous essay.The reissue of this work as a Routledge Classic brings some radical ideas to a new audience, and argues persuasively for a totally new way of reading. As such, it is an essential work for anyone interested in the development of literary theory.
Pierre Macherey Books
Pierre Macherey is a French Marxist literary critic whose work provides a profound analysis of literary texts through a Marxist lens. A key figure in the development of post-structuralism and Marxism, his approach explores how literary works reflect socio-economic conditions and ideological mechanisms. Macherey's theoretical rigor and deep engagement with the relationship between literature and its societal context have made his work highly influential, particularly within European literary theory.
Reading Capital
- 340 pages
- 12 hours of reading
Together with Louis Althusser’s book For Marx , Reading Capital represents one of the foundational texts of the school of “structuralist Marxism” which transformed the face of modern philosophy and social theory. Presided over by the magnetic and intellectually coruscating figure of Althusser, the structuralist Marxists attempted no less than an intellectual revolution against dominant interpretations of Marx. Seeking to cleanse Marx of all Hegelian impurities and recast his thought on a rigorously scientific basis, in this work Althusser and one of his most brilliant students and colleagues, Etienne Balibar, subjected Marx’s method in Capital , his critique of classical political economy, and the fundamental terms of historical materialism, to searching textual analysis and challenging conceptual reconstruction. Inaugurating a new way of reading Marx that was to prove both intensely stimulating and capable of generating fierce controversy, Reading Capital is a work that cannot be bypassed by anyone interested in Marxism, and in theory more generally, in this century.
Le normal et le pathologique constitue l’œuvre maîtresse de Georges Canguilhem : réflexion sur la vie et la mort ; valorisation du statut de l’erreur et de la rationalité dans l’histoire des sciences ; insistance sur les notions de continuité et de rupture, de norme ou d’anomalie ; mise à jour, dans le champ de la médecine, des relations entre expérimentation et conceptualisation. Cet reprend les communications que la Société Internationale d’Histoire de la psychiatrie et de la Psychanalyse [SIHPP] avait consacrées au 50e anniversaire du livre de Canguilhem.