Smothered Words

by Sarah Kofman, Madeleine Dobie (Translation)

The internationally recognized philosopher, who committed suicide in 1995, presents a profound, deeply personal meditation on the thought of Maurice Blanchot, her father's death in the Auschwitz concentration camp, and the ethics of writing about the Holocaust. UP.

Genres: Philosophy

90 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Sarah Kofmans philosophical works currently available in English are: The Childhood of Art (1988), The Enigma of Woman: Woman in Freud's Writings (1985), Freud and Fiction (1991), and Nietzsche and Metaphor (Stanford, 1994).

Reviews

[Alyosha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A touching book, in terms of its biographical elements, which cannot be critiqued. The other elements - a reading of Blanchot and of Antelme - on the other hand, are not so impervious. Kofman's reading of Blanchot is somewhat lacking (she claims an "essentialism" on Blanchot's part which is not really there, and then claims Antelme supercedes Blanchot here - only to provide the reading of Antelme which Blanchot himself gives). A very odd little book, rightly overshadowed by Rue Ordener, rue Labat.

[Maurizio Manco · Rating 3 out of 5]

"La lezione dei campi [...] consiste nel fatto che la figura dell'uomo vi è stata fatta per sempre vacillare." (p. 86)

[Radhika · Rating 4 out of 5]

harrowing, so impactful. A must read. the brilliance of Kofman's words stuns me.