Alice Doesn't: Feminism, Semiotics, Cinema

by Teresa de Lauretis

"There is hardly a page in this collection of hard-thought and brilliantly written essays that does not yield some new insight." --Hayden White

..". de Lauretis's writing is brisk and refreshingly lucid." --International Film Guide

Genres: Feminism, Film, Nonfiction, Theory, Gender Studies, Academic, Feminist Studies

232 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1984

About the author

Born and educated in Italy, de Lauretis came to the United States shortly after completing her doctorate in modern languages and literatures at Bocconi University in Milan. Before joining the History of Consciousness Department at UCSC, she taught Italian and comparative literature, semiotics, women's studies, and film studies at several American universities, including the University of Colorado and the University of Wisconsin. She has also held visiting professorships in Canada, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as the United States.

The author of seven books and over one hundred essays, de Lauretis writes in both English and Italian. Her works have been translated into 14 other languages of Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Reviews

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Semiótica, psicanálise, cinema e feminismo, quatro das minhas maiores paixões unidas sob a pena afiada de Teresa de Lauretis, é o que encontramos no incontornável Alice doesn't de 1984. 40 anos depois a discussão presente nele ainda é bem atual em termos de Semiótica e psicanálise, mas talvez em termos de feminismo pudesse ser atualizado com algo mais interseccional, mesmo assim é um livro seminal que deveria ser mais lido.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some amazingly brilliant insights about spectatorship, feminist filmmaking, and cinematic desire in this book, but I'll be honest: it's rough going to slog through the incredibly dated semiotic/ psychoanalytic framework in which those salient points are wrapped.

[Thai Divone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should have read this book earlier, years earlier, when I was still new to both semiotics, feminism and film studies. It would have probably felt remarkable, truly new and illuminating. It is not so from where I stand today. The world couldn't have been where it is without it, but I can't but feel that it filled its role: it is now too canonical to be critical.

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

El comienzo de este libro es espectacular. El uso que le da Lauretis a uno de los pasajes de Ciudades Invisibles de Italo Calvino es uno de los análisis más agudos que he leído recientemente. Es tan poderoso, que me llevó a leer todo el libro. Sin embargo, la lucidez no se mantiene constante durante el libro, de pronto llega a ser muy técnico, obtuso y árido.
En general, aprendí bastante sobre lo que es la semiótica, sus corrientes y como podría utilizarse para dinamitar las estructuras sociales. Pero me quedé con más preguntas que respuestas. ¿Bueno o malo? Lo dejo a su juicio.

[MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t believe I am just finally getting to this. Much of it holds up, some of it dated but can see how influential it was.

[Bre Dule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teresa is my theoretical mother, a great reference for talking about women's fictions. Love her 💕

[Lara Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teresa de Lauretis la mejor 🥰🐇🎊

[Sofia V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

No he entendido nada

[Chuck Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chuck doesn't either, apparently. As frustrating as it is rewarding.