PublishedPenguin Classics, February 2015 |
ISBN9780143107521 |
FormatSoftcover, 288 pages |
Dimensions19.7cm × 12.9cm × 2.1cm |
"The house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace."
Rare is the work of philosophy that offers itself as an inviting indulgence to both the casual book-lover and the professor. Rare as well is that text so universal that luminaries across an array of fields lay claim to it. Here, then, is Gaston Bachelard's The Poetics of Space- brimming with quiet revelations relevant to daily life and so lyrical that it can be read for its poignant, mysterious imagery alone. Beloved and studied by philosophers, architects, writers, and literary theorists alike, Bachelard's landmark work takes as its premise the emergence of the poetic image and finds an ideal metaphor in the intimate spaces of our abodes . Guiding us through a stream of cerebral meditations on poetry, art, and the blooming of consciousness itself, Bachelard examines the places where we put our dreams and memories. Houses and rooms; cellars and attics; drawers, chests and wardrobes; nests and shells; nooks and corners- no space is too vast or too small to be filled by our thoughts and our reveries. In Bachelard's enchanting spaces, "We are never real historians, but always near poets, and our emotion is perhaps nothing but an expression of a poetry that was lost."
This edition features an introduction by internationally renowned philosopher Richard Kearney and a foreword by novelist Mark Z. Danielewski, whose bestselling experimental novel, House of Leaves, acknowledges a deep debt to the imagination of Bachelard.
A beloved multidisciplinary treatise comes to Penguin Classics
Since its initial publication in 1958,The Poetics of Spacehas been a muse to philosophers, architects, writers, psychologists, critics, and readers alike. The rare work of irresistibly inviting philosophy, Bachelard's seminal work brims with quiet revelations and stirring, mysterious imagery. This lyrical journey takes as its premise the emergence of the poetic image and finds an ideal metaphor in the intimate spaces of our homes. Guiding us through a stream of meditations on poetry, art, and the blooming of consciousness itself, Bachelard examines the domestic places that shape and hold our dreams and memories. Houses and rooms; cellars and attics; drawers, chests, and wardrobes; nests and shells; nooks and corners- No space is too vast or too small to be filled by our thoughts and our reveries. In Bachelard's enchanting spaces,"We are never real historians, but always near poets, and our emotion is perhaps nothing but an expression of a poetry that was lost."
This new edition features a foreword by Mark Z. Danielewski, whose bestselling novelHouse of Leavesdrew inspiration from Bachelard's writings, and an introduction by internationally renowned philosopher Richard Kearney who explains the book's enduring importance and its role within Bachelard's remarkable career.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators.
