The Portable Kristeva

by Kelly Oliver (Editor), Julia Kristeva

As a linguist, Julia Kristeva has pioneered a revolutionary theory of the sign in its relation to social and political emancipation; as a practicing psychoanalyst, she has produced work on the nature of the human subject and sexuality, and on the "new maladies" of today's neurotic. The Portable Kristeva is the only fully comprehensive compilation of Kristeva's key writings. The second edition includes added material from Kristeva's most important works of the past five years, including The Sense and Non-Sense of Revolt , Intimate Revolt , and Hannah Arendt . Editor Kelly Oliver has also added new material to the introduction, summarizing Kristeva's latest intellectual endeavors and updating the bibliography.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Psychology, Nonfiction, Linguistics, Theory, Feminism

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of four mysteries series:
Jessica James Mysteries (contemporary suspense), Pet Detective Mysteries (middle grade), Fiona Figg Mysteries (historical cozies), and The Detection Club Mysteries (traditional).

When she’s not writing mysteries, Kelly is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.

Kelly lives in Nashville with three very demanding felines.

To learn more about Kelly and her books, please visit her website at www.kellyoliverbooks.com.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. I enjoyed the poetic aspect of Kristeva -- I had trouble till I realised I had to read the metaphors like I do in poems/books -- then it all smoothed out...

She is brilliant at using these metaphors to get across her points... it makes things so much more enjoyable and easier...

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first exposure to Kristeva's work and I think it's a good place to start for a broad overview as it has lengthy selections from her major works and you can decide which you want to explore further. Oliver's introduction is a good road map to further study. I first read this in the late-90s so still have the first edition. There's since been an updated edition published.

[Dustyn Hessie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kristeva's outlook on mental illness is lagging. It almost seems (and I will only commit my opinion to this particular edition of her work) as though her work is a mixture of erudition and satire and we discern when one turns into the other - in short, reading Kristeva is even more confusing than Hegel (and Hegel can be a mind-full if you're not open-minded). Listen to this quote on depressives: "Unbelieving in language, the depressive persons are affectionate, but prisoners of effect. The affect is their thing," and she also goes on to claim that melancholics and mood-swingers are "slaves to their moods."

Kristeva does have some interesting thoughts on linguistics, but when her writing seeps into mental illness and ontology she can be utterly disappointing. Any keen philosopher will instantly catch her misrecognition on the topic of "Being," but her thoughts on linguistics are rather interesting.

[غبار · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Women doubtless reproduce among themselves the strange gamut of forgotten body relationships with their mothers. Complicity in the unspoken, connivance of the inexpressible, of a wink, a tone of voice, a gesture, a tinge, a scent. We are in it, set free of our identification papers and names, on an ocean of preciseness, a computerization of the unnameable."

—Stabat Mater, p325

[Thorolf van Walsum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you need to read from France’s most profound semiotician.

Kristeva’s work combining theories of psychoanalysis, semiotics and Hegelian philosophy stands out in critical form and content. The power and immediacy of her style compliments her firm grasp on structural thought to create a dangerously-moving body of critical thought.

[Elizabeth Alford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Kristeva primer

[Tin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good compilation by someone who nows the author realy well