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is a poetic, insightful, and ultimately moving exploration of 'the strange science of writing.' In a magnetic, irresistible narrative, Cixous reflects on the writing process and explores three distinct areas essential for 'great' writing:-the notion that something or someone must die in order for good writing to be born;-the crucial role dreams play in literary inspiration and output; and-the importance of depth in the 'nether realms' in all aspects of writing.Cixous's love of language and passion for the written word is evident on every page. Her emotive style draws heavily on the writers she most admires: the Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector, the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, the Austrian novelists Ingeborg Bachmann and Thomas Bernhard, Dostoyevsky and, most of all, Kafka. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Essential for Writers and Critics
This uncategorizable book is essential for anyone interested in creative writing, literary criticism, or literary history. Like many, I read it for a college class - Advanced Composition, which describes the book well. One might have the impression that it is a writing manual, which it is in a sense, but it is very unorthodox. Like all good writers, Cixous knows that writing cannot really be taught; what works for one person simply does not work for everyone - if anyone else. The most anyone can do is inspire others, and one of the best ways of doing so is showing what inspired you. Cixous does just this, delving into some of her biggest inspirations and influences and analyzing the writing process as it seems to her. This is not a "How To" manual but does what those are supposed to accomplish far better than they almost ever do. The book is very personal, showing the power of the particular and thus inspiring readers more than dry instruction ever could. I have read hundreds, maybe thousands of books, but no other has given me such an itch to write. The work is very short but takes a while to read, not only because it is dense but because it makes us want to put it down often - a compliment in this case, as it makes us want to write. Cixous mixes in much literary criticism, theory, and history, sometimes of well-known sources but at least as often not. It thus helps to have some background in these areas and/or in Cixous, but the dedicated will find much to like and appreciate in any case. This is not light reading but is highly recommended for those wanting to improve their writing by unconventional means or find out more about writing and writers from someone well qualified.

Perfect!
Other's have said much about this book so I will keep my review short.I've given this book to many friends of mine and explained that it is the first book I've read on writing that merits a reread.It is without catagory or direct instruction.It speaks on the art of writing, as well as the craft.Most importantly, it speaks of sacrifice.Frankly, I am tired of reading about or reading books from authors who give nothing of themselves in their art.Lispector, Kafka - where have all the dusty and tattered souls gone.

Hard to categorize (a good thing)
I knew of Cixous, had a general idea of her doing work toward a kind ofecriture feminine (feminine writing), but hadn't actually read her writinguntil I read this book while tanning in Southern New Jersey this past June. This book was on a recommended reading list for a writing class I wastaking, though I think I'm the only one who read it; it's not at all yourusual writer's-help book, but that's good. It is dense, genre-breakingacademic-poetic writing that I ended up having to get out of the sun toread.This book is comprised of a set of essays originally given aslectures, separated into "The School of the Dead," "The School of Dreams,"and "The School of Roots."The writers that resonate with Cixous are"descenders, explorers of the lowest and the deepest," (a conceptintroduced in "The School of the Dead") and include some I knew --Kafka,Dostoevsky, Genet, and Ingeborg Bachmann, and others I hadn't -- ClariceLispector and Marina Tsvetaeva.I see there's a Derrida "endorsement" bothhere on the Amazon website and on the cover of the book, and so, as youwould expect, this book's meditation on the connection between language anddesire, between writing and the body, some wordplay and deconstruction ofthe very shape of letters or the names of writers is what you might expectfrom a French poststructuralist.What set this book apart for me was itsattitude toward the works cited.Cixous doesn't use literature to promoteflashy ideas; it's seriously personal work, a "Schooling" on thinking aboutone's own writing, she's actually interested in defining "truth."Thefirst part of "The Dead," especially the kind of cataloguing of"deaths-as-beginnings" was fascinating.I found the "School of Roots"section absolutely packed with virtuoso readings and ideas.Her closing,"Toward a book without an author" is the perfect payoff culmination ofher/our hard work from the pages that preceded it.You'll have to read ityourself to see if you "get it" / agree with it.

Hard to categorize (a good thing)
I knew of Cixous, had a general idea of her doing work toward a kind ofecriture feminine (feminine writing), but hadn't actually read her writinguntil I read this book while tanning in Southern New Jersey this past June. This book was on a recommended reading list for a writing class I wastaking, though I think I'm the only one who read it; it's not at all yourusual writer's-help book, but that's good. It is dense, genre-breakingacademic-poetic writing that I ended up having to get out of the sun toread.This book is comprised of a set of essays originally given aslectures, separated into "The School of the Dead," "The School of Dreams,"and "The School of Roots."The writers that resonate with Cixous are"descenders, explorers of the lowest and the deepest," (a conceptintroduced in "The School of the Dead") and include some I knew --Kafka,Dostoevsky, Genet, and Ingeborg Bachmann, and others I hadn't -- ClariceLispector and Marina Tsvetaeva.I see there's a Derrida "endorsement" bothhere on the Amazon website and on the cover of the book, and so, as youwould expect, this book's meditation on the connection between language anddesire, between writing and the body, some wordplay and deconstruction ofthe very shape of letters or the names of writers is what you might expectfrom a French poststructuralist.What set this book apart for me was itsattitude toward the works cited.Cixous doesn't use literature to promoteflashy ideas; it's seriously personal work, a "Schooling" on thinking aboutone's own writing, she's actually interested in defining "truth."Thefirst part of "The Dead," especially the kind of cataloguing of"deaths-as-beginnings" was fascinating.I found the "School of Roots"section absolutely packed with virtuoso readings and ideas.Her closing,"Toward a book without an author" is the perfect payoff culmination ofher/our hard work from the pages that preceded it.You'll have to read ityourself to see if you "get it" / agree with it. Now I'm inspired to readmore Cixous. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Each paragraph a poem
This amazing book is thick with literary allusions, verbal play and passionate response to being human, to being in love.That might make it sound dense and too difficult but Cixous' love of language and love of playing with language, clever insights and sincere voice along with her sensous responses, makes this book a rewarding experience.It will not be a book you read quickly but it is also not one you will forget quickly.

worth the battle
I have never had to fight so hard to get through a book, and it was worth every word.Intense image, amazing passion, harsh honesty.It was reading poetry as prose, becoming so engulfed with an image that it could takehours to move on to the next page.It was just amazing. ... Read more

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A 'wilful extremist' according to the London Times, Hélène Cixous is hailed as one of the most formidable writers and thinkers of our time. Acclaimed by luminaries such as Jacques Derrida, her writing has nonetheless been misunderstood and misread, to a surprising extent. With the inclusion of Stigmata, one of her greatest works into the Routledge Classics series, this is about to change. Questions that have long concerned her – the self and the other, autobiographies of writing, sexual difference, literary theory, post-colonial theory, death and life – are explored here, woven into a stunning narrative. Displaying a remarkable virtuosity, the work of Cixous is heady stuff indeed: exciting, powerful, moving, and dangerous. ... Read more

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A Must for Feminist & Literary Theory
This amazing books gives readers the ability to scrutinize literary texts from a feminist perspective.Cixous clearly lays out her arguments and offers a unique perspective on the struggle of woman and how she is seen by the rest of the world.This book is a must for any Women's Studies or English major. ... Read more

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Helene Cixous' writings and plays are widely recognised as being among the most original and wide-ranging of any living writer. This is the first anthology of her plays, making many of her plays available in English for the first time: · Portrait of Dora, translated by Ann Liddle · The Name of Oedipus, translated by Christiane Makward and Judith Miller · The Conquest of the School at Madhubai, translated by Deborah Jenson · The Terrible but Unachieved Story of Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia, translated by Donald Watson · The Indiad or India of their Dreams, translated by Donald Watson · The Story We Shall Never Know, translated by Brian J. Mallet · Black Sail White Sail, translated by Donald Watson · The Perjured City or The Awakening of the Furies, translated by Bernadette Fort · Drums on the Dam, translated by Judith G. Miller and Brian J. Mallet ... Read more

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This is the first truly representative collection of texts by Helene Cixous. The substantial pieces range broadly across her entire oeuvre, and include essays, works of fiction, lectures and drama. Arranged helpfully in chronological order, the extracts span twenty yeats of intellectual thought and demonstrate clearly the development of one of the most creative and brilliant minds of the 20th century.

With a foreword by Jacques Derrida, a preface by Cixous herself, and first-class editorial material by Susan Sellers, The Helene Cixous Reader is destined to become a key text of feminist writing. ... Read more

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A translation that communicates the poetry!
This reader is a diverse selection of Cixous' work. Beautifullytranslated, thoughtfully arranged and annotated. The foreword by Derrida isvery helpful in understanding the translation and its difficulties.

Thetext maintains Cixous' poetic exploration of prose. From 'Angst' to'Deluge' to the 'Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing', one feels they haveentered this writer's mind and soul. Cixous's work is deeply psychologicaland her use of the power of words transcend language, at least in thistranslation for the most part. The french language is not something thatcan be transparently 'imported' as certain things are so inherent to thelanguage itself, they cannot be understood by the monoligual psyche.

Buteven for those who never wish to delve into the french language in itsoriginal form, this book will do a fine job of throwing them into a pool ofthought and mixed feelings.

Helene Cixous Reader:a review
This book of selected texts, arranged chronologically, includes poetry,fiction, essays and theatre pieces.Dense and not easily digested, it isfilling fare, full of intricately wrought words and images.Most of thework is translated from original French texts.For me, the most beautiful,clear writing is in sections with Cixous' own revision of the Englishtranslation. If you love writing, internal exploration or feminist thought,please read "To Live The Orange", first published in 1979. Herwords gave me tears, goosebumps, and a deep experience on many levels. ... Read more

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A collection of six essays, translated from the French, in which Cixous explores how the problematics of the sexes - viewed as a paradigm for all difference, the organizing principle behind identity and meaning - manifest and write themselves in texts. ... Read more

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again and again
When I see orange and russet leaves wet with the mist of a rainy day in Central Park I feel as happy to be alive as I do when I read Cixous' essay "The Last Painting," included in this book. I imagine the shimmering surface of the Cathedral at Rouen. I feel glad that a human can write and think with such clarity and beauty and that I can read her words.

feminist critical theory
_Coming to Writing & Other Essays_ is a collection of essays dealing with the relationship between a marginalized person and writing-- that is between a person whose voice has been silenced and her voice.Cixous'writing is frequently narrative, rather than expository, so the text readslike so many short stories.She is irreverent and refreshing in the worldof drily written critical thought. ... Read more

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This volume combines loosely "autobiographical" texts bytwo of the most famous French intellectuals of our time. ... Read more

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Helene Cixous is among the most influential and original literary critics and feminist thinkers of our time. This volume reproduces - for the first time, in any language - a collection of pages from her original writing notebooks, offering a unique insight into her radical thought and work. The material gathered here ranges across the full spectrum of Cixous' writing, including the concept of ecriture feminine, and the starting points and sources of inspiration for her poetry and prose. The editor's introduction succinctly outlines the central tenets of Cixous' theory of writing. Each extract is accompanied by editorial commentary and a translation, both by Susan Sellers. The book concludes with an interview with Cixous herself, in which she discusses the writing process, her own criticism, fiction and poetry and the value and importance of these notebooks. Students and teachers of literature, psychoanalysis, philosophy and feminist theory will find this an illuminating and inspiring collection of writings. ... Read more

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Helene Cixous, Rootprints explores the subterranean crossings which uncover the most intimate roots: those of childhood and language.

Published here in English for the first time, this work traces Cixous' development as a writer and intellectual, and is an ideal introduction to her theory and her fiction. Helene Cixous, Rootprints includes an extended interview between Cixous and Calle-Grubar, exploring Cixous' creative and intellectual processes; and a revealing collection of photographs taken from Cixous' family album, illuminating the connections between memory and diaspora. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Helping my daughter-in-law (my daughter-in-heart) get her PhD
My fabulous daughter-in-heart is working on her PhD (on a full scholarship!) in Poetry.
My gifts to her have been mostly connected to that end. Helene Cixous: Rootprints: Memory and Life Writing, was of the highest priority on her wish list, so it was a no brainer. It wouldn't matter how much it cost, I'd get it for her.
I could not love this woman more than if she were born to me. ... Read more

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Lispector would turn over in her grave...
Cixous has been made famous for bringing attention to Clarice Lispector, but unfortunately, she completely misrepresents Lispector's work and uses it in a way completely antithetical to its purpose. Let me make clear that Lispector's work deserves attention, but it is far more intelligent than Cixous can comprehend. Cixous' work is completely disingenuous: celebratory of women writers while at the same time objectifying them. She hides behind obfuscation as a defense against appearing to objectify (at times sexually) Lispector, but her equivocations are nothing more than intellectual smoke and mirrors.

My advice. Skip this book, at least until you have read and come to love Lispector's work on the writer's terms. If you have to write about Lispector in academia, sooner or later you need to confront Cixous' take on Lispector, but don't take it for having substance. ... Read more

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Love's memories, love recalling itself in letters lost and found over an interval of forty years: Cixous's writer-narrator advances here far into a labyrinth of passions long ago delivered and yet still arriving through the mail, through letters and literature, in other words, the poetry of the post. As for the lovers' returning scenes, they have their addresses in Paris (rue Olivier de Serres, Avenue de Choisy, street names that endlessly feed love's unconscious language) and in New York, but also in a lost oasis of the Egyptian desert during the Napoleonic wars, in Athens and along the shores of a great lake centuries ago in the country of myth. The lovers are poets or soldiers, philosophers or students madly in love with poetry and poets. They are as well mermaids or panthers. Panthers? Yes, for it is the passion of the animal that drives all these lovers to bare themselves, and sometimes their claws, before the beloved. Misunderstandings are often, even inevitably the result. Seconded and witnessed by her passionate, truth-telling cats, Cixous's narrator-writer returns unerringly to moments of errancy inflicted on address and language, those errors and faults when love, perhaps, is listening only to itself, without subject or object, lover or beloved, just love itself, l'amour meme, l'amour m'aime, love loving me, in the letter box of memory. ... Read more

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Enthralled
I engage best with books that help me to new ways of reading, books that stretch my experience of the world and myself. Love Itself in the Letterbox does this in unexpected ways. It swirls together a deep and very alive intelligence with sexuality, memory and a long relationship, embeding these in places (mostly Paris but also New York). Reading this book made me long back to the beginning of my own life-long relationship and the way it is anchored in places, ideas and shared work. And it gave me ideas to carry forward about different ways to write and different scents to follow as I read.

I had somehow not read Cixous until this summer, something I feel now as a gap in my reading, and I will seek out her other work. It seems that little of the poetry has been translated (I hope some translators and publishers are working on this) so I will have to use my faulty French to read these.

I do wonder who the poet is that wrote Belated Answer to Celan (if anyone knows please put in in a comment to this review) and I am going to try to make Pfannkuchen. ... Read more

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Manhattan is the tale of a young French scholar who travels to the United States in 1965 on a Fulbright Fellowship to consult the manuscripts of beloved authors. In Yale University's Beinecke Library, tantalized by the conversational and epistolary brilliance of a fellow researcher, she is lured into a picaresque and tragic adventure. Meanwhile, back in France, her children and no-nonsense mother await her return. A young European intellectual's first contact with America and the city of New York are the background of this story. The experience of Manhattan haunts this labyrinth of a book as, over a period of thirty-five years, its narrator visits and revisits Central Park and a half-buried squirrel, the Statue of Liberty and a never again to be found hotel in the vicinity of Morningside Heights: a journey into memory in which everything is never the same.Traveling from library to library, France to the United States, Shakespeare to Kafka to Joyce, Manhattan deploys with gusto all the techniques for which Cixous's fiction and essays are known: rapid juxtapositions of time and place, narrative and description, analysis and philosophical reflection. It investigates subjects Cixous has spent her life probing: reading, writing, and the "omnipotence-other" seductions of literature; a family's flight from NaziGermany and postcolonial Algeria; childhood, motherhood, and, not least, the strange experience of falling in love with, as Jacques Derrida writes, "a counterfeit genius." ... Read more