Skip to content

Raymond Roussel and the Republic of Dreams

Raymond Roussel and the Republic of Dreams Hard cover - 2000

by Ford, Mark; Ashbery, John

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
  • first

Description

Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2000. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 6x1x9. First edition. Jacket edges bumped. Front free endpaper clipped with ink name. 2000 Hard Cover. xxviii, 312 pp. Raymond Roussel, one of the most outlandishly compelling literary figures of modern times, died in mysterious circumstances at the age of fifty-six in 1933. The story Mark Ford tells about Roussel's life and work is at once captivating, heartbreaking, and almost beyond belief. Could even Proust or Nabokov have invented a character as strange and memorable as the exquisite dandy and graphomaniac this book brings to life' Roussel's poetry, novels, and plays influenced the work of many well-known writers and artists: Jean Cocteau found in him "genius in its pure state," while Salvador Dalí, who died with a copy of Roussel's Impressions d'Afrique on his bedside table, believed him to be one of France's greatest writers ever. Edmond Rostand, Marcel Duchamp, André Breton, Michel Foucault, and Alain Robbe-Grillet all testified to the power of his unique imagination. By any standards, Roussel led an extraordinary life. Tremendously wealthy, he took two world tours during which he hardly left his hotel rooms. He never wore his clothes more than twice, and generally avoided conversation because he dreaded that it might turn morbid. Ford, himself a poet, traces the evolution of Roussel's bizarre compositional methods and describes the idiosyncrasies of a life structured as obsessively as Roussel structured his writing.
Used - Very Good
NZ$24.98
NZ$10.31 Shipping to USA
Standard delivery: 5 to 14 days
More Shipping Options
Ships from Yesterday's Muse Books (New York, United States)
The BIBLIO Guarantee | Ask Seller a Question

Details

  • Title Raymond Roussel and the Republic of Dreams
  • Author Ford, Mark; Ashbery, John
  • Binding Hard Cover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Condition Used - Very Good
  • Pages 288
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York
  • Date 2000
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Dust Cover, Illustrated
  • Bookseller's Inventory # 2344176
  • ISBN 9780801438646 / 0801438640
  • Weight 1.09 lbs (0.49 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.92 x 5.74 x 1.24 in (22.66 x 14.58 x 3.15 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 20th Century
    • Cultural Region: French
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 00059030
  • Dewey Decimal Code 848.912

About Yesterday's Muse Books New York, United States

Specializing in: History, Literature, Philosophy
Biblio member since 2005
Seller rating: This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.

Yesterday's Muse Inc. is an independent used & rare bookseller that has been in operation for over 15 years. We opened our first 'brick and mortar' storefront in December of 2008 in our hometown of Webster, NY.

Owner Jonathan Smalter is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), former vice president of the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA), both of which are trade organizations created to promote ethical online selling practices, and to encourage continuing education among fellow booksellers. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS). He has nearly 20 years of experience in the book trade, during which time he has become adept at evaluating used and collectible books.

Terms of Sale:

Unless alternate arrangements have been made, payment is expected at the time of purchase. We accept payment by credit card, PayPal, check, or money order. All orders are shipped promptly and securely packed in boxes to avoid damage during shipment.

Shipping costs stated are estimates. Large sets or particularly heavy items may require additional postage, especially for priority or international service.

All items are guaranteed to be as described (this includes condition, edition, authenticity of signatures, etc.). If you are not satisfied with your order, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.

Browse books from Yesterday's Muse Books

From the publisher

Raymond Roussel, one of the most outlandishly compelling literary figures of modern times, died in mysterious circumstances at the age of fifty-six in 1933. The story Mark Ford tells about Roussel's life and work is at once captivating, heartbreaking, and almost beyond belief. Could even Proust or Nabokov have invented a character as strange and memorable as the exquisite dandy and graphomaniac this book brings to life?Roussel's poetry, novels, and plays influenced the work of many well-known writers and artists: Jean Cocteau found in him "genius in its pure state," while Salvador Dal, who died with a copy of Roussel's Impressions d'Afrique on his bedside table, believed him to be one of France's greatest writers ever. Edmond Rostand, Marcel Duchamp, Andr Breton, Michel Foucault, and Alain Robbe-Grillet all testified to the power of his unique imagination.By any standards, Roussel led an extraordinary life. Tremendously wealthy, he took two world tours during which he hardly left his hotel rooms. He never wore his clothes more than twice, and generally avoided conversation because he dreaded that it might turn morbid. Ford, himself a poet, traces the evolution of Roussel's bizarre compositional methods and describes the idiosyncrasies of a life structured as obsessively as Roussel structured his writing.

Media reviews

Citations

  • Choice, 06/01/2001, Page 1799
  • Library Journal, 12/01/2000, Page 131
  • Publishers Weekly, 12/18/2000, Page 66

About the author

Mark Ford's poetry has been praised by Helen Vendler and John Bayley, among others, and by leading poets in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia. Ford is a Lecturer in English Literature at University College London. John Ashbery's books of poetry have won the Yale Younger Poets Prize, the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the National Book Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Hang on… we’re fetching the requested page.