Review of 'My Mother, Madame Edwarda and the Dead Man' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
In my very humble opinion The Dead Man>Madame Edwarda>My Mother though I'm sure others will disagree. I found My Mother to be a slog, which is very unusual in my experience with Bataille. Here he shows his admiration for Gide's style and pulls back on his detailed writing. It almost felt as though he was trying to be polite, which is not a good thing. As a set of narratives that showcase Bataille's philosophical development these are exceptional. What is also clear is that he knew how to pull from his own life and use details from his biography to structure emotional through lines useful for tracking the kind of interiority he wanted to display in his characters.
It is possible I had a tough time with My Mother simply bc it is so incredibly vulnerable and it evoked a reaction in me. It has been nicer to think about …
In my very humble opinion The Dead Man>Madame Edwarda>My Mother though I'm sure others will disagree. I found My Mother to be a slog, which is very unusual in my experience with Bataille. Here he shows his admiration for Gide's style and pulls back on his detailed writing. It almost felt as though he was trying to be polite, which is not a good thing. As a set of narratives that showcase Bataille's philosophical development these are exceptional. What is also clear is that he knew how to pull from his own life and use details from his biography to structure emotional through lines useful for tracking the kind of interiority he wanted to display in his characters.
It is possible I had a tough time with My Mother simply bc it is so incredibly vulnerable and it evoked a reaction in me. It has been nicer to think about after than it was to read. Not that I was offended but like with Bergman's films or Strindberg's plays sometimes the psychic violence being depicted is just too strong and I need a little distance to see it well.