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Jean-Jacques Rousseau Narcissus, or The Lover of Himself (Paperback)

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Item specifics

Condition
Brand New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. See the ...
Book Title
Narcissus, or the Lover of Himself
Publication Name
Narcissus, or The Lover of Himself
Title
Narcissus, or The Lover of Himself
Author
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Translator
Daniel Boden
Contributor
Simon Critchley (Afterword by)
Format
Trade Paperback
ISBN-10
1940625130
EAN
9781940625133
ISBN
9781940625133
Publisher
Contra Mundum Press
Genre
Drama, Performing Arts, Philosophy
Topic
European / French, Theater / Playwriting, Aesthetics
Release Year
2015
Release Date
07/12/2015
Language
English
Item Height
0.3in
Item Length
8in
Item Width
5in
Item Weight
4.8 Oz
Type
Theatre
Publication Year
2015
Number of Pages
128 Pages

About this product

Product Information

Narcissus, or The Lover of Himself is a play of staggering mediocrity. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, better known as a social thinker than as a playwright, claims to have written it as a young man of eighteen, some twenty years before it was performed for King Louis XV on December 18, 1752. It flopped and never saw the stage again in Rousseau's lifetime. In his preface to the play, penned after its failed production, Rousseau avows that he kept himself from publishing it for as long as he held onto some regard for his reputation as an author. This is a fairly measured judgment, for a work the caliber of Narcissus would certainly not bolster Rousseau's status. The plot, characters, language, and comedic elements come off as weak or incomplete. Hence, the reader (or spectator) could understandably question the play's merits, and the need to publish it. But had Narcissus never been, neither would its preface. This afterthought, two decades in the making, becomes, in many ways, a much more interesting opening act to the comedy that follows. It is rich in philosophy and criticism, madly buzzing with paranoia, and surprisingly convincing in its proposition that the arts and sciences, the pursuit of knowledge, the cultivation of letters, and all the trappings of civilization are destructive forces, harmful to man's morality. It is an apology for having experimented with writing literature in his foolish youth and, at the same time, a justification for the existence of his art. The preface, in which he writes, "I must, despite my reluctance, speak of myself," is fully narcissistic. Peering over Rousseau's shoulder, we, too, see his reflection: a man with reason on his side, standing against his enemies, his age, and, indeed, the world. Daniel Boden's translation of Narcissus and its preface is true to the voice, times, and incongruities of Rousseau. In the afterword that crowns this edition, Simon Critchley situates the play and preface in their historical context, makes connections to other works by Rousseau, comments on the philosophy put forward in the preface, reflects on what brings the classics to the stage, and proposes, quite simply, that theater is narcissism.

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Contra Mundum Press
ISBN-10
1940625130
ISBN-13
9781940625133
eBay Product ID (ePID)
247249215

Product Key Features

Book Title
Narcissus, or the Lover of Himself
Author
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Format
Trade Paperback
Language
English
Topic
European / French, Theater / Playwriting, Aesthetics
Publication Year
2015
Genre
Drama, Performing Arts, Philosophy
Number of Pages
128 Pages

Dimensions

Item Length
8in
Item Height
0.3in
Item Width
5in
Item Weight
4.8 Oz

Additional Product Features

Target Audience
Trade
Afterword by
Critchley, Simon
Illustrated
Yes

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