ABSTRACT

Without Maurice Blanchot, literary theory as we know it today would have been unthinkable. Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, Michel Foucault, Roland Barthes, Gilles Deleuze: all are key theorists crucially influenced by Blanchot's work.
This accessible guide:
* works 'idea by idea' through Blanchot's writings, anchoring them in historical and intellectual contexts
* examines Blanchot's understanding of literature, death, ethics and politics and the relationship between these themes
* unravels even Blanchot's most complex ideas for the beginner
* sketches the lasting impact of Blanchot's work on the field of critical theory.
For those trying to come to grips with contemporary literary theory and modern French thought, the best advice is to start at the beginning: begin with Blanchot, and begin with this guide.

chapter |7 pages

Why Blanchot?

part |119 pages

Key Ideas

chapter |13 pages

What is literature?

chapter |12 pages

Language and literature

chapter |14 pages

Death and philosophy

chapter |15 pages

Death

From philosophy to literature

chapter |18 pages

Literature and ethics

The impact of Levinas

chapter |12 pages

Blanchot as nationalist

The pre-war writings

chapter |14 pages

Ethics and politics

chapter |17 pages

The literary community