The reviewer explores Julia Kristeva's 'Powers of Horror,' a classic work on abjection, highlighting its relevance to gothic literature and modern society. They appreciate Kristeva's nuanced approach to the concept, which bridges theory and literary examples, making it a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike.
The reviewer delves into Julia Kristeva's 'Powers of Horror,' a seminal work that examines the role of abjection in literature and society. They find Kristeva's analysis insightful and well-poised, given her background in psychoanalysis and linguistics. The book is praised for its theoretical depth and practical examples, which make it a useful tool for understanding gothic literature, film noir, and other genres. The reviewer also appreciates how Kristeva distinguishes between the grotesque and the abject, and how she traces the evolution of these concepts through various literary works. They note that Kristeva's work is particularly relevant in today's society, where the abject often serves as a substitute for the sacred, highlighting the horror and complexity of modern life.
Quick quotes
To each ego its object, to each superego its abject. It is not the white expanse or slack boredom of repression, not the translations and transformations of desire that wrench bodies, nights, and discourse; rather it is a brutish suffering.
The abject is, for Dostoyevsky, the ‘object’ of The Possessed: it is the aim, and motive of an existence whose meaning is lost in absolute degradation because it absolutely rejected the moral limit (a social, religious, familial, and individual one) as absolute — God.
Great modern literature unfolds over that terrain: Dostoyevsky, Lautreamont, Proust, Artaud, Kafka, Celine.