A tooth for a tooth : selected poems of Juan Larrea (1925-1932)

Larrea, Juan & Bary, David (trans. Introduction). A tooth for a tooth : selected poems of Juan Larrea (1925-1932), Lanham, MD : University Press of America, c1987.

Juan Larrea was a Spanish poet, art critic and philosopher greatly influenced by French surrealism. “The majority of his poetic and prose works were written in French and translated into Spanish.

Larrea's entire output, including his poetry, is part of an attempt to come into contact with, and decipher, the archetypes of the collective unconscious as they are manifested in all forms of culture, as well as in individual dreams and experiences. He came to believe in a forthcoming mutation in the cultural cycle in which the traditional religious and social institutions of the West, as well as the Western emphasis on individual consciousness, would disappear, A higher form of collective consciousness would emerge, perhaps rooted in the rediscovered primitive cultures of America.” (Crispin, John. "Larrea, Juan.") Larrea uses a densely-written descriptive language style to demonstrate complex intellectual themes.

Aimé Césaire, the collected poetry

Césaire, Aimé, Eshleman, Clayton (introduction, notes) & Annette Smith (introduction, notes). Aimé Césaire, the collected poetry, Berkeley : University of California Press, 1983.

Césaire was born in abject poverty on the French Caribbean island of Martinique. His work mostly centres around colonialism (particularly French), relating to colonial authorities mission to suppress the cultures of native civilisations, and African diaspora, which “refers to black people who now live in exile far from Africa as a result of the slave trade that transported their ancestors into slavery in the New World” (Campion, Edmund's Aimé Césaire). Césaire also endeavoured to describe “the experience of what it meant to be a black person in literary works that would appeal to readers of all races.” (Campion, Edmund's Aimé Césaire). These are works which are both intellectual and emotive, which provide an extensive frame of historical detail, densely written with beautifully flowing tone describing the horrific nature of colonialism.

The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington

Carrington, Leonora & Carrington, Pablo Weiss (illustrator). The Hearing Trumpet, Boston : Exact Change, 1996.

An elderly woman is given a hearing trumpet, and is shocked to learn that her family are planning to commit her to an otherworldly institution where the gates to the underworld are open, the fantastical buildings are constructed like birthday cakes, where the mystery of a recent murder looms. The hearing trumpet is a darkly humorous work of surrealist fiction told through unconventional narrative form, contrasting bizarre fairytale fantasy with feminist themes, ageism and the concept of normalcy. This is a character-driven work that uses humour, albeit morbid, to discuss underlying motifs.

     

Paris Peasant by Louis Aragon

Aragon, Louis & Watson, Simon Taylor (trans.). Paris Peasant, London : Cape 1971

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Paris Peasant is widely celebrated as one of surrealist fiction's most important and influential texts.

Described by Aragon as “a mythology of the modern”, and “a novel that the critics would be obliged to approach empty-handed.” Paris Peasant uses an extremely detailed depiction of the landscape of Paris to explore metaphysical themes, and to question current trends of thought. Aragon avoids character development typical to fiction and veers towards unconventional forms of narration so as to completely undermine the assumptions of the audience and draw them into his eclectic world. The Parisian setting is reinforced by a great detail of ephemera including maps, newspaper clippings, cafe menus and inscriptions.

Surrealist Texts (Absurdist Texts & Documents #23)

Prassinos, Gisèle. Surrealist Texts

(Absurdist Texts & Documents #23), San Francisco, California : Black Scat Books, 2014.

Gisèle Prassinos was a prodigy discovered as a teen who is widely considered as one of surrealism's most gifted and influential voices. This is a collection of 20 short stories and poems, accompanied by 8 watercolour paintings, and is the sole English translated collection of Prassinos' work. Her tone is described by mentor and surrealist icon Andre Breton as “unique: all the poets are jealous of it.” She uses a writing style that veers away from traditional narrative structure and logic, often described as childlike in nature, while offering compelling critique of societal constructs and norms. An example of this is Water Drama, which examines the the familial and societal pressure upon a young girl from a “respectable family” who's fiancee has passed away. This is a fast-paced, character driven story, with leaps in logic and tone and a special focus on societal norms.   

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murikami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Trans. Jay Rubin, South Africa : Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1997.

In a tale that begins with young man Toru Okada searching for his wife's cat, he finds himself swept into Tokyo's underbelly searching for her as well. He encounters a bizarre cast of allies and adversaries, including a psychic sex worker, a distressed war veteran, a cheerfully pessimistic teen, and a conniving politician. This is a fast-paced, character driven, dark and surreal comedy.  

Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924. The Metamorphosis. Trans. and Ed. Stanley Corngold. New York: Bantam, 1972.

Gregor, a travelling salesman wakes to find he has transformed into a gigantic cockroach. The family breadwinner, Gregor now finds his new existence is a burden to his horrified family, who become increasingly estranged the longer he is unable to communicate with them.

Metamorphosis is a psychologically based slow burner, that builds to a poignant climax. It is  character-driven, and told from a first-person perspective.