L'Écriture des pierres

by Roger Caillois

L'écriture de pierres est une méditation fascinante sur l'imagination humaine contemplant l'intérieur des pierres. Caillois examine les motifs révélés par le polissage de sections de minéraux tels que l'agate, le jaspe et l'onyx. Il considère l'impact de ces configurations sur l'imagination humaine à travers l'histoire et passe en revue les tentatives de l'homme pour les catégoriser et les expliquer.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science, France, Geology

136 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Eric Byrd]

Oh man, this sounds good!


Surrealist and Sociologist Roger Caillois was known for his writings on biomimicry, especially within the insect world, pareidolia and lithic scrying. His latter interest provided us with The Writing of Stones, a book in which he unravels the ‘unfathomable graphic madness’ etched onto the rocks contained within the ‘archives of geology’. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a species of rock – in each he channels ever increasingly dense, extravagant, and at times morbid tales from the authorless inscriptions each stone contains.

http://www.dataisnature.com/?p=1990

[Jaroslav Zanon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro di rara bellezza che fa ripensare al concetto di opera d’arte e natura. Super interessante. Grazie, Enrico 🫶🏻

[Steffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifully articulated lens on stones. i’m curious to read more of callois writings on organically occurring beauty and mystery. this was very nice

[hector]

stones!!!

[Quiver · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, intriguing book on the cross-sections of stones. It covers Ruing and Landscape Marbles, Dream Stones, Septaria, Jaspers and Agates, and Limestones from Tuscany. But unless you are geology enthusiast that probably tells you little.

The wow experience first comes from the included photographs of these stones. In their exposed interiors, on the flat, glassy surfaces we see lines, circles, fractals, whole geometric landscapes that resemble people or birds or ghosts or alien worlds. The text mixes explanations of geologic origin with flights of artistic associations, and can be read as a background against which the photographs stand alone—proud—ready to be taken up by the reader's imagination.

But in a stone the image—every image—is fixed, as if the thickness of the mineral preserved the cloud, the flame, or the waterfall at every moment of its kaleidoscopic metamorphosis. Each image is an immortal witness, recorded for a long period of time: forever, measured against the brief human season. So all one has to do is get hold of an outstanding example, by trial and error or the favor of fate. The flowing currents have suddenly become motionless, all of them paralyzed, indestructible, though within reach of the cutting diamond or the polishing wheel. Now the stone has only to be cut and buffed, through this must be done along the best axis and just to the point where the marking yields its utmost.

I didn't think that stone, often symbolic of hard, cold ground and of death, could be something so alive and beautiful. With this book Caillois opens the door to another way of thinking about nature's accidental-design.

Enjoy.

[Jacopo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Vedo in questo l'origine dell'invincibile attrattiva della metafora e dell'analogia, le ragioni di uno strano e permanente bisogno di identificare. Mi trattengo a stento dal sospettare in tutto questo un'antica e diffusa magnetizzazione, il richiamo del centro, il ricordo oscuro, pressoché annullato, o il presentimento, inutile in un essere così meschino, della sintassi generale"

[Natalie Petchnikow · Rating 5 out of 5]

En présence de cette humanité sentie plus que jamais comme éphémère, en présence même de ce monde animal ou végétal dont nous accélérons le perte, il semble que l'émotion et la dévotion de Caillois se refusent; il cherche une substance plus durable, un objet plus pur. Il le trouve dans le peuple des pierres : "le miroir obscur de l'obsidienne", vitrifiée voici des milliers de siècles, à des températures que nous ne connaissons plus ; le diamant qui, encore enfoui dans la terre, porte en soi toute la virtualité de ses feux à venir ; la fugacité du mercure, le cristal, donnant d'avance des leçons à l'homme en accueillant en soi les impuretés qui mettent en péril sa transparence et la rectitude de ses axes - les épines de fer, les mousses de chlorite, les cheveux de rutile - et en poursuivant malgré elles sa limpide croissance ; le cristal dont les prismes, Caillois nous le rappelle en une formule admirable, pas plus que les âmes ne projettent des ombres.

Extrait de l'éloge à Roger Caillois par Marguerite Yourcenar

[Margarete Maneker · Rating 5 out of 5]

natural fantasy!!!

such a wonderful, thoughtful exploration of the sublime and the beautiful, art and aesthetic. a thorough, minute collection of observances of natural phenomena and the wonder that accompanies such close looking and eager appreciation. reminded me of Barthes at times, especially in the section near the end on The Portrait. also brought to mind Tainaron, in a way--maybe something about the voice? not sure, but certainly a new favorite.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book Rocks.
Get it? IT rocks. It's the only book to treat seriously the images that we find, by chance, within cut stone. Caillois- god bless the man.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just reread this one last month. A beautiful meditation on the lithic, the aesthetic, the universe without anthropocentrism, inhuman art. Great illustrations as well.

[amgds · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful meditation on natural aesthetics. Find an edition with full colour photographs if you can.

[Michael W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly one of the most unique books I've ever read. Add it to the list of short books that can change your life. I'm obsessed with rocks now.

[sumerkidestate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sempre molto interessanti le fantasticazioni iconografiche/iconologiche di Caillois, anche in questo ambito. Purtroppo l'edizione italiana più recente (Abscondita 2013) ha poche immagini e in bianco e nero, apparato molto misero in confronto all'edizione francese e ad altre.

[Thiliel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so poetic

[Birch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly scathing review of this book could take the form of Dubuffet's mud-painting "Life Without Man". Or so I thought in a dream.