{"product_id":"great-liberty-9781939663894","title":"Great Liberty","description":"\u003ch2\u003eGreat Liberty by Julien Gracq - Surrealist Prose Poetry\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA previously untranslated gem of Surrealist prose poetry from the acclaimed French novelist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1941, Julien Gracq, newly released from a German prisoner-of-war camp, wrote a series of prose poems that would come to represent the only properly Surrealist writings in his oeuvre. Surrealism provided Gracq with a means of counteracting his disturbing wartime experiences; his newfound freedom inspired a new freedom of personal expression, and he gave the collection an appropriate title, \u003ci\u003eGreat Liberty\u003c\/i\u003e: \"In the occult dictionary of Surrealism, the true name of poetry is liberation.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout This Collection\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGracq the poet rather than the novelist is at work here: Surrealist fireworks lace through bewitching modernist romance, fantasy, black humor and deadpan absurdism. This collection showcases a different side of the author known for dreamlike novels such as \u003ci\u003eThe Castle of Argol\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Dark Stranger\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Opposing Shore\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBalcony in the Forest\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA later, postwar section entitled \"The Habitable Earth\" presents Gracq as visionary traveler exploring Andes and Flanders and returning to the narrative impulse of his better-known fiction. These prose poems blend experimental form with deeply personal reflection, offering readers insight into the author's creative process during one of history's most turbulent periods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJulien Gracq\u003c\/b\u003e (1910-2007), born Louis Poirier, was close to the Surrealist movement, and André Breton in particular, to whom he devoted a critical study. This collection represents his most direct engagement with Surrealist techniques and philosophy, making it essential reading for scholars and enthusiasts of French modernist literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished by Wakefield Press in their ongoing effort to bring underground and avant-garde literature to English-speaking audiences, this translation finally makes these important works accessible beyond their original French publication.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wakefield Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50680414798098,"sku":"9781939663894","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_eff3d2e8-7b3c-49f7-82d1-0ba71b0a0d9e.jpg?v=1734906267","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/great-liberty-9781939663894","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}