Evolution of Desire
A Life of Rene Girard
Published on 1. April 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
344 pages
978-1-61186-283-6 (ISBN)
Description
Rene Girard (1923-2015) was one of the leading thinkers of our era-a provocative sage who bypassed prevailing orthodoxies to offer a bold, sweeping vision of human nature, human history, and human destiny. His oeuvre, offering a "mimetic theory" of cultural origins and human behavior, inspired such writers as Milan Kundera and J. M. Coetzee, and earned him a place among the forty "immortals" of the Academie Francaise. Too often, however, his work is considered only within various academic specializations. This first-ever biographical study takes a wider view. Cynthia L. Haven traces the evolution of Girard's thought in parallel with his life and times. She recounts his formative years in France and his arrival in a country torn by racial division, and reveals his insights into the collective delusions of our technological world and the changing nature of warfare. Drawing on interviews with Girard and his colleagues, Evolution of Desire: A Life of Rene Girard provides an essential introduction to one of the twentieth century's most controversial and original minds.
Reviews / Votes
It is my humble opinion that, when the dust finally settles, Rene Girard will be considered one of the truly great thinkers of the twentieth century. Do I exaggerate? Read Cynthia Haven's beautifully written biography and be your own judge. Here is a book that gives us Girard in all his genius and his generosity. I can't recommend it enough.-Morgan Meis, contributor at The New Yorker and 2013 Whiting Award winner Rene Girard's provocative theories on violence, religion, desire, and scapegoating are intensely relevant to contemporary American society. Cynthia Haven offers an account of Girard's life and ideas that is as compelling as a good detective story. It should receive the widest possible readership.
-David Streitfeld, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The New York Times Evolution of Desire chronicles the personal history of one of the past century's seminal thinkers, illuminating the intellectual history that followed in his wake. Written with flair and wit, the book is intelligent and lucid, discerning and compelling.
-Daniel Medin, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and English, American University of Paris, juror for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize Evolution of Desire is essential reading for Girard devotees and a perfect opening party for newcomers. Rich with details and ideas, Haven's book gives everything it promises and something more: a personal account of a close friend. She manages to say so much, while still keeping the narration on a deeply personal level. Highly recommended.
-Maria Stepanova, Russian poet, journalist, and publisher of Colta Evolution of Desire is essential reading for Girard devotees and a perfect entree for newcomers. Rich with details and ideas, Cynthia Haven's book gives everything it promises and something more: a personal account of a close friend. Highly recommended.
-Maria Stepanova, recipient of the 2005 Andrei Bely Prize for Poetry, the 2018 Big Book Award, and shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
East Lansing, MI
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
32
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
495 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61186-283-6 (9781611862836)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
CYNTHIA L. HAVEN writes regularly for The Times Literary Supplement, and has also contributed to The Nation, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and many others. She is also the author of several books, including volumes on Nobel poets Czeslaw Milosz and Joseph Brodsky.
Content
Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Magnetic North
Chapter 3. Dark Times in the City of Light
Chapter 4. Everything Is Possible
Chapter 5. Mankind Is Not so Kind
Chapter 6. The Pleasure of His Company
Chapter 7. Everything Came to Me at Once
Chapter 8. The French Invasion
Chapter 9. Le Systeme-Girard
Chapter 10. The Zero Hour of Culture
Chapter 11. Lotus Land
Chapter 12. The New Darwin of the Human Sciences
Chapter 13. Who Asks about the Souls of These Men?
Chapter 14. Terra Incognita
Postscript: Hand in Hand
Acknowledgments
Chronology
Notes
Index
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Magnetic North
Chapter 3. Dark Times in the City of Light
Chapter 4. Everything Is Possible
Chapter 5. Mankind Is Not so Kind
Chapter 6. The Pleasure of His Company
Chapter 7. Everything Came to Me at Once
Chapter 8. The French Invasion
Chapter 9. Le Systeme-Girard
Chapter 10. The Zero Hour of Culture
Chapter 11. Lotus Land
Chapter 12. The New Darwin of the Human Sciences
Chapter 13. Who Asks about the Souls of These Men?
Chapter 14. Terra Incognita
Postscript: Hand in Hand
Acknowledgments
Chronology
Notes
Index