Jeffrey Mehlman Libros

Exploring the "Blanchot affair," Jeffrey Mehlman reveals the complex past of a key figure in French thought who was linked to fascism in the 1930s. This investigation delves into the ideological implications of literary works, offering fresh insights into the intersection of psychoanalysis and literature. The book serves as a thought-provoking examination of literature, ethics, and the French experience during World War II, challenging readers to reconsider the moral responsibilities of writers and their legacies.

In Walter Benjamin for Children, readers will encounter a host of intertextual surprises: an evocation of the flooding of the Mississippi informed by the argument of "The Task of the Translator"; a discussion of scams in stamp-collecting that turns into "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"; a tale of bootlegging in the American South that converges with the best of Benjamin's forays into fiction. Mehlman superimposes a dual series of texts dealing with catastrophe, on the one hand, and fraud, on the other, and allows it to resonate with the false-messianic theology of Sabbatianism as it came to focus the attention and enthusiasm of Benjamin's friend Gershom Scholem during the same years. The radio scripts for children offer an unexpected byway, on the eve of apocalypse, into Benjamin's messianic preoccupations.

Quienes acudan a este libro con la esperanza de encontrar claves para poder encandilar convincentemente a sus profesores, colegas, amigos o amantes con profusas disquisiciones librescas adquiridas sin apenas esfuerzo o tiempo, habrán cometido un error. Tras un título voluntariamente provocador, que corre el riesgo de ser interpretado como un signo de cinismo o de impostura, el ensayo de Bayard nos brinda en realidad una lúcida y estimulante reflexión a propósito de qué significa la lectura. Ese y no otro es el interrogante primordial alrededor del cual gravita su propuesta. Para resolver ese enigma, Bayard se impone como tarea ineludible desenmascarar con una gran dosis de honestidad, inteligencia y humor uno de los tabúes sociales más extendidos y mejor amordazados: el hecho de que en algún momento de nuestras vidas todos hayamos fingido haber leído un libro que, a pesar de considerarse imprescindible, nunca fue abierto. En Cómo hablar de los libros que no se han leído, Bayard no solo asume con naturalidad nuestra sempiterna condición de no-lectores (por mucho que seamos ávidos devoradores de libros, el número de lecturas pendientes siempre será infinitamente mayor), sino que convierte esa en apariencia vergonzante no-lectura en el núcleo mismo de la lectura.

Wartime New York serves as a backdrop for a vibrant exploration of French literary figures like Maurice Maeterlinck, Andr Breton, and Claude Lévi-Strauss, highlighting their contributions during a tumultuous period. Jeffrey Mehlman intricately weaves together the stories of these artists against the irony of America's complex relationship with France, particularly its dealings with the collaborationist regime of Pétain over the Free French movement. Through expertly crafted portraits, the book reveals the layered dynamics of cultural exchange and conflict in a city caught between two worlds.

Renowned for its brilliance and entertainment, this book has garnered acclaim from critics and scholars alike. It captivates readers with its insightful narrative and engaging themes, making it a standout work in recent literary history.