Story of the Eye, Georges Bataille — 1st English Edition

£120.50

Story of the Eye, Georges Bataille — 1st English Edition

Name: Story of the Eye, Georges Bataille — 1st English Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4049-RM-F-VG-9
Price: 120.50 GBP
Availability: InStock

In stock

£120.50

Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Publication: London, Marion Boyars, 1979

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [viii], 120.

Condition Report: Near Fine. The book presents exceptionally well, bound tightly with a robust, unblemished cased binding that shows no signs of shelf-wear or bumping to the extremities. The dust jacket is remarkably bright and clean, free from the standard edge wear, chipping, or fading that commonly afflicts this title, while the glossy laminate has been perfectly preserved. Internally, the textblock edges are sharp and uniformly clean, and the preliminary pages are entirely bright, crisp, and unmarked, pointing to a volume that has been carefully stored and likely unread. A superior, highly collectible example of this surrealist masterwork.

Catalogue Note: First UK edition. The title marks a crucial moment in the Anglophone reception of Georges Bataille. Originally published in France under the pseudonym "Lord Auch" in 1928, Story of the Eye only began to cement its reputation in the English-speaking world following its underground dissemination and eventual formal translations. This Marion Boyars publication brings together Joachim Neugroschel's definitive translation alongside two monumental critical texts: Susan Sontag's "The Pornographic Imagination" and Roland Barthes's "The Metaphor of the Eye," the latter expertly translated by J. A. Underwood.

As a serious scholarly undertaking that effectively rehabilitated transgressive surrealism for academic and popular consumption, this edition remains highly sought-after. Finding copies of the original cased printing (as opposed to the simultaneous and highly common paperback runs) in such well-preserved condition is increasingly uncommon on the open market, particularly with the jacket’s striking egg-and-eye motif wholly intact and unrubbed.

In Story of the Eye, Georges Bataille shatters the boundaries of traditional narrative to explore the violent, intoxicating intersections of youth, eroticism, and death. Following a pair of teenage protagonists, the novel spirals through a series of escalating transgressions that redefine the body and its deepest, darkest capacities for both horror and ecstasy. Bataille's work interrogated traditional attitudes about the nature of the self, individuality and collectivity, as part of his politics of resistance and quest for the rapturous and mystical experience (Curtin, 2010). Shocking upon its initial release and now celebrated as a cornerstone of surrealist transgressive literature, the text intellectualizes the erotic and eroticizes the intellect. Bolstered by the penetrating critiques of Sontag and Barthes, this is not merely a tale of excess, but a multifaceted philosophical inquiry into the bases of literature and the extremes of human consciousness

ISBN: 0714526274

Book Condition: Near Fine

Book Authors: Georges Bataille

Book Publisher: Marion Boyars

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Fiction

Genre: Modern Fiction

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 127

Book Publication Year: 1979

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Cloth

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.