Angst

by Hélène Cixous

A woman struggles to come to an understanding of her anxieties, fears, and desires

Genres: Philosophy, Fiction, Literature, France

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Hélène Cixous is a Jewish-French, Algerian-born feminist well-known as one of the founders of poststructuralist feminist theory along with Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva. She is now a professor of English Literature at University of Paris VIII and chairs the Centre de Recherches en Etudes Féminines which she founded in 1974.

She has published numerous essays, playwrights, novels, poems, and literary criticism. Her academic works concern subjects of feminism, the human body, history, death, and theatre.

Reviews

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a personal purging of her own angst on paper. You can get a bit nauseous if you read too fast too long. Issues with the mother and things like that. But I love the pace and quick wit of it, and the many associations. You feel like youre actually listening to someones thoughts when you read a book like this. It takes an extraordinary writer to be able to capture all of those things that go through your head in some kind of rational order while maintaining the pace.

[Linda Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very difficult. Maybe the Covid-19 atmosphere, and being an OLD reader of 79 years, isn't the best atmosphere and state of mind! Also, echoing another review, you just cannot sit down and read all the way through. BEST definitely in bites, possibly "snacks" but not full four-course (219pp) meal. There is NO dessert except the interesting style. Too depressing. Her style, which I'm trusting is perfectly and well-shown-off by the translator Jo Levy. I got a few writing ideas...not content but style ... from reading this. Images, staccato rhythm sometimes, I admit, I didn't read carefully the last half...just got tired, and was unable to find another book to pick up instead. WHAT I LIKED: Short declarative sentences • The use of second person (you, your, yours) along with first person. The POV is always personal, I guess you'd say first person, but it's as if Cixous addresses herself as another self. The book is a very strange love story, and I felt sorry for the man upon whom the character depended. Just a little sample..." His face. He had a black patch over one eye. I think it was the left eye. An old pain prevents me from going into details. Perhaps I only spoke to avoid looking him in the face. And yet I did look at him. Will you always be there? His correct tone, with no kindness in it: –– That's up to you. "
~ Linda Campbell Franklin

[Emily Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Partially read, the prose is fast-paced so I found it hard to stay in tune with it. Beautifully written. Cixous poetically expresses her inner turmoil; her wants, fears and anxieties.

[Bob Lopez]

Oof, had to DNF. Read about half of the book, could barely discern what was happening. TBF, it wasn't a traditional narrative; more of a stream-of-consciousness from within a dark dream, that sort of flits from idea to idea, person to person. All of this combined to make it a very challenging read. It was more a screed. It may have been layered, it may have a feminist bent to it, I just couldn't get past the writing to see it. Just not for me.

[Isaac H · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Send it in the three languages that I don't understand anymore."

[\tonio]

if i die, god dies
as if he could lose his life