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the complete review - literary criticism

Death and the Labyrinth

by
Michel Foucault

general information | quotes | our review | links | about the author

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Our Assessment:

B+ : engaging, interesting study of Roussel's writing

See our review for fuller assessment.

Quotes:

• "(S)omething of an anomaly in Foucault's opus, this is nonetheless the finest study of Roussel's literary devices, and a brilliant piece of writing into the bargain." - Trevor Winkfield, in How I Wrote Certain of my Books by Raymond Roussel (see our review)

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The complete review's Review:

       Death and the Labyrinth was Foucault's first book, and the one focussed most specifically on literature. In it Foucault offers a thorough study of Roussel's work, paying particular attention to Roussel's special method, as outlined in his posthumous text, How I Wrote Certain of my Books (see our review).
       Foucault leads the reader through Roussel's texts, and provides considerable detail and analysis. Most of it is well done, though too often Foucault admits that open questions remain as he essentially wonders aloud in his essay (something we find rather irritating).
       The book can serve as a good introduction to Roussel's works, as Foucault does present and summarize them well, as well as suggesting what Roussel was trying to do (and specifically how he was doing it). Still, readers who have read How I Wrote Certain of my Books or Mark Ford's excellent (and -- in all respects -- more accessible) study, Raymond Roussel and the Republic of Dreams (see our review), will find much of the material familiar.
       Even more familiar, of course, is John Ashbery's introduction -- apparently the obligatory introduction to any and all books about Roussel. You've read it before and here you can read it again. (Yes, it's a fine piece, but surely there's more to say by way of introduction .....)
       A bonus is translator Charles Ruas' interview with Foucault, shortly before his death. It offers some background about Foucault's interest in and understanding of Roussel -- and about Foucault himself.

       Worthwhile, especially for the uninitiated (i.e. those not familiar with Roussel and especially with the secondary literature).

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Links:

• Continuum publicity page

• The Foucault Pages at CSUN
• Michel Foucault Resources

• Reading Raymond Roussel by Trevor Winkfield, in Context
• Biography
• Locus Solus
• A lovely Curiosity: Raymond Roussel (1877–1933) by William Clark
• La rhétorique de l'invention de Raymond Roussel à l'Oulipo : résumé by Christelle Reggiani

• How I Wrote Certain of my Books

• Mark Ford's Raymond Roussel and the Republic of Dreams
• John Ashbery's Other Traditions, with a chapter on Roussel

• Books by Harry Mathews
• Georges Perec's Roussel-tinged Life A User's Manual
• See Index of French literature at the complete review

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About the Author:

       French author and philsopher Michel Foucault (1926-1984) wrote on a wide variety of subjects.

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