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ionm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
An orgy of piss, semen, blood and vomit awaits the reader in "Story of the Eye" by Georges Bataille. The most erudite pornographic work of literary art is a graphic exploration of sexual desire in the absolute, rich in its obscenity and shock value. Its artistry is not in the raw depiction of sex, but rather in its hidden meaning, overtly described by the title. This is the story of the birth, development, transgression and ultimate death and rebirth of the Eye, a potent metaphor for existence, and possibly art itself.
Bataille narrates the story from the perspective of a male teenager discovering all aspects of sexuality with his friend Simone. Together they use sex as a narcotic to define their reason for being. Each experience takes them from innocence to murder and defilement, without ever bearing any consequences for their actions, for, ultimately, they are the gods in charge of their sexual universe, at the centre of which, through a sequence of metamorphoses, we find the everlasting Eye, ever perpetuating, ever changing, and forever the unspoken object of ultimate desire.
In his essay, "The Metaphor of the Eye" (included in this edition), Roland Barthes traces the circular trajectory of the different states of the eye and the plethora of human fluids, to conclude that Bataille's novel is about the development of literature. Whereas convincing, Barthes fails to see that the same circularity can be extended to the entire concept of the development of human civilisation. The sexual acts are a third metaphor that triggers the constant cycle of birth and death with all its pleasure, purity and violence.
"Story of the Eye", born out of similes from the author's own upbringing (as we learn from Bataille's essays accompanying the novella), through the gutter of fifth, elevates itself into a parable that describes our society in the most original form.
Few may find this book tolerable (based on private taste and prejudice). Nonetheless, this is a masterpiece of Western literature that must be compulsory reading. To negate its role based on its pornographic content would be a failure of intellect. A key essay elaborating this point can be found in this book also, namely Susan Sontag's "The Pornographic Imagination". Analysing a number of key works of pornographic literature, of which "Story of the Eye" is "the most accomplished artistically" according to her, Sontag puts foreword a powerful defence towards accepting these types of work equally as any other forms of knowledge. Refusing to do so would make any other defence of knowledge-building a hypocritical act.
Bataille narrates the story from the perspective of a male teenager discovering all aspects of sexuality with his friend Simone. Together they use sex as a narcotic to define their reason for being. Each experience takes them from innocence to murder and defilement, without ever bearing any consequences for their actions, for, ultimately, they are the gods in charge of their sexual universe, at the centre of which, through a sequence of metamorphoses, we find the everlasting Eye, ever perpetuating, ever changing, and forever the unspoken object of ultimate desire.
In his essay, "The Metaphor of the Eye" (included in this edition), Roland Barthes traces the circular trajectory of the different states of the eye and the plethora of human fluids, to conclude that Bataille's novel is about the development of literature. Whereas convincing, Barthes fails to see that the same circularity can be extended to the entire concept of the development of human civilisation. The sexual acts are a third metaphor that triggers the constant cycle of birth and death with all its pleasure, purity and violence.
"Story of the Eye", born out of similes from the author's own upbringing (as we learn from Bataille's essays accompanying the novella), through the gutter of fifth, elevates itself into a parable that describes our society in the most original form.
Few may find this book tolerable (based on private taste and prejudice). Nonetheless, this is a masterpiece of Western literature that must be compulsory reading. To negate its role based on its pornographic content would be a failure of intellect. A key essay elaborating this point can be found in this book also, namely Susan Sontag's "The Pornographic Imagination". Analysing a number of key works of pornographic literature, of which "Story of the Eye" is "the most accomplished artistically" according to her, Sontag puts foreword a powerful defence towards accepting these types of work equally as any other forms of knowledge. Refusing to do so would make any other defence of knowledge-building a hypocritical act.
rakhas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
charhuyn's review against another edition
5.0
Incredibly erotic, lewd, and disturbing, yet at its core, not really about sex but rather as the erotic as literature, art, language, symbolism, combined with Freudian psychosexuality. A lot to digest and think about. Will not be reading again.
mentallyillescapist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
stolb's review against another edition
4.0
Prefácio bem interessante, tendo o autor relatado algumas tristes experiências com o pai cego e paraplégico e sua mãe perdida.
Livro bem à frente do seu tempo, com cenários vampirescos e personagens depravados, mas enigmáticos.
Livro bem à frente do seu tempo, com cenários vampirescos e personagens depravados, mas enigmáticos.
ezrasupremacy's review against another edition
2.0
no idea what i just read, but the concept of this having been written in 1928 is honestly the only thing that makes it halfway interesting, if it had been written recently i would definitely not have stuck it through lmao
vacationrick's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, and Sexual assault
welovelizards's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Did exactly what it wanted to do, an incredibly fast read. Would be disgusting if it wasn't so repeatetive but in the context of it's origin it's super decent and shocking like how it was intended to be.
tashery's review against another edition
1.0
I don't even know where to start. First of all I'd like to give it zero stars. Or maybe minus five stars... I added it to my to-read shelf clearly purely going by the book cover art. It looked cool so I assumed it was a horror or thriller of some sort. First sentence in I realised it certainly was neither. But giving it the benefit of a doubt I pushed on.
Brief synopsis - two horny teenagers have disgusting (and I mean sick and downright nasty) sexual escapades. You couldn't even call it any type of erotica because the sex scenes were making me want to vomit. I'm not sure what this book was about, who it was written for or what the point of it was. It's like the author was completely sexually repressed and couldn't contain his sick fantasies any longer. They all came out one after another in a completely random and implausible way.
I'm just glad it was over in 60 pages and that I got the ebook for free.
Ugh.
Brief synopsis - two horny teenagers have disgusting (and I mean sick and downright nasty) sexual escapades. You couldn't even call it any type of erotica because the sex scenes were making me want to vomit. I'm not sure what this book was about, who it was written for or what the point of it was. It's like the author was completely sexually repressed and couldn't contain his sick fantasies any longer. They all came out one after another in a completely random and implausible way.
I'm just glad it was over in 60 pages and that I got the ebook for free.
Ugh.
blob's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75