Mimologiques . Voyage En Cratylie

by Gérard Genette

Do words - their sounds and shapes, their lengths and patterns - imitate the world? Mimology says they do. First argued in Plato's Cratylus more than two thousand years ago, mimology has left an important mark in virtually every major art and artistic theory thereafter. Fascinating and many-faceted, mimology is the basis of language sciences and incites occasional hilarity. Its complicated traditions require a sure grip but a light touch. One of the few scholars capable of giving mimology such genial attention is Gerard Genette. Genette treats matters as basic and staid as the alphabet and as reverberating as the letter R in ur-linguistics.

512 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Genette was largely responsible for the reintroduction of a rhetorical vocabulary into literary criticism, for example such terms as trope and metonymy. Additionally his work on narrative, best known in English through the selection Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method, has been of importance.[2] His major work is the multi-part Figures series, of which Narrative Discourse is a section. His trilogy on textual transcendence, which has also been quite influential, is composed of Introduction à l'architexte (1979), Palimpsests: Literature in the Second Degree (1982), and Paratexts. Thresholds of interpretation (1997).[3]
His international influence is not as great as that of some others identified with structuralism, such as Roland Barthes and Claude Lévi-Strauss; his work is more often included in selections or discussed in secondary works than studied in its own right. Terms and techniques originating in his vocabulary and systems have, however, become widespread, such as the term paratext for prefaces, introductions, illustrations or other material accompanying the text, or hypotext for the sources of the text.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want mimology to be true, but it isn't.

[Jan Havlis · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good overview when recapitulating older literature and contributions on sound symbolism, too speculative and undisciplined in original interpretation, not really scientific and even not much entertaining as teasing humanities. too much of so-called continental philosophy (derrida inside), overall impression rather mediocre.

[Doru Constantin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on language I have ever read. I started writing an outline (see part I).

[Armagan (any pronouns) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fortunate coincidence, I've discovered this book in the school library while Barthes was scheduled in a class.
This is a really entertaining and exciting book.