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Story of the Eye: By Lord Auch (Penguin Modern Classics)
 
 
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Story of the Eye: By Lord Auch (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

by Georges Bataille (Author), Joachim Neugroschal (Translator) "I grew up very much alone, and as far back as I recall I was frightened of anything sexual ..." (more)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Ed edition (26 April 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0141185384
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141185385
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 32,843 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #1 in  Books > Fiction > Cult Authors > Bataille, Georges

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Product Description

Product Description

Bataille’s first novel, published under the pseudonym ‘Lord Auch’, is still his most notorious work. In this explicit pornographic fantasy, the young male narrator and his lovers Simone and Marcelle embark on a sexual quest involving sadism, torture, orgies, madness and defilement, culminating in a final act of transgression. Shocking and sacreligious, Story of the Eye is the fullest expression of Bataille’s obsession with the closeness of sex, violence and death. Yet it is also hallucinogenic in its power, and is one of the erotic classics of the twentieth century.
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First Sentence
I grew up very much alone, and as far back as I recall I was frightened of anything sexual. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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 (9)
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 (2)
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Definately worth a read, 9 Jan 2006
Story of the Eye is not so much an erotic text, as an exploration on what it is that drives every human- desire. Desire to live, breath eat, make love, our lives revolve around it, and if there was no desire we would not be alive.It is a mistake to have Batailles novella down as an erotic fiction- it is so much more than that. He exorcises his demons through eroticism at its highest level, in order to find a release, or death, of that wanting, which can never be resolved. It is an important read, and whatever it is you take away from it, it will be something important.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars fun and educational, 11 Feb 2006
By A Customer
Bataille's novel is a book about which one can argue endlessly whether it is pornographic or art or both. This is the point. It is easy to see how one can dismiss the novel as smut. However, in order to really understand the metaphorical language and the connection of themes within the novel one must dwell in Sontag's and Barthes' essays (incorporated within the book) that may change one's perspective about the graphic but beautifully written content of the book. In fact, the essays form an integral piece to understand contemporary French writing. To push it to the extreme, talking about it is philosophising.

The story of the eye offers to both camps: those that want to have a quick mesmerising read and those who are interested in understanding a modern continental perspective on a philosophy of art.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Violent, morbid and disturbing; a masterpiece of pornography, 15 Jun 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Story of the Eye (Twentieth Century Classics) (Paperback)
"Story of the Eye" is a visit to the extremes of Bataille's consciousness; blessed are those who return intact from this horrific journey. More 'real life' than Sade, this is an excellent example for Shattuck's formulation of "forbidden knowledge". A must for connoisseurs of pornographic literature.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of the Eye
Excellent. A book I have wanted to read for 30+ years and it is now in my collection.
Published 4 months ago by Arthur S. Underwood

5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating and enjoyable read
I found the book to be highly captivating, largely due to the writing style, which is fast and informative, making it very hard to lose attention! Read more
Published 9 months ago by Tom

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
I was led to this work by my interest in the history of the Surrealist movement, particularly, the exploration of pornographic literature and how its manifestations has influenced... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2006 by Room For A View

1.0 out of 5 stars Your hard-earned money doesn't deserve to be spent on this
'Story of the Eye' is, summarily, wholly disappointing, more so when read under the mantle of "greatest erotic masterpiece of the century". Read more
Published on 19 May 2003 by rob howard

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and disgusting about naive sexuality
George Bataille's novel describes, in its good parts, the naive and cruel nature of sexuality. In its less well composed parts, it's an orgie of disgust. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2002

1.0 out of 5 stars Seriously lacking in something.
I bought this book after reading other reviews, and have to say that it is really one of the worst books I have ever read. Read more
Published on 2 May 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant
Batille's "Story of the Eye" is a brilliantly distrubing tale of a twisted coming of age.

a quick read, and a must read.

Published on 24 Oct 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gothic Glimpse Into Undergound Reality.
This tale travels in lurid sketches detailing the experiences & experiments of 3 people who lived up at their own & got away with it. Read more
Published on 26 Mar 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars "Eye" an Eyeful
"The Story of the Eye" is the finest book ever written about the idea that one can take pleasure from acts like sitting down in a puddle of milk, placing a plucked... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars the cover
one of the best books...entirely weird....maximum surrealism...i've read this 3 times and have forced it upon many friends....a wonderful dream... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 1998

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