Mimesis, Expression, Construction
Fredric Jameson's Seminar on Aesthetic Theory
by Fredric Jameson
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Mar 19 2024 | Archive Date Apr 24 2024
Repeater Books | Repeater
Talking about this book? Use #MimesisExpressionConstruction #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Transcribed and edited from audio recordings taken by Octavian Esanu of the original seminar at Duke University in 2003, Mimesis, Expression, Construction reproduces Jameson and his students' engagement with Aesthetic Theory, one of the most influential theories of modernist aesthetics.
The first and only published record of Jameson's teaching and pedagogic style, the seminar delves into modern and modernist aesthetics through the perspectives of Kant, Hegel, Freud, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche; Benjamin and other members of the Frankfurt School; the literary works of Thomas Mann and Samuel Beckett; the music of Schoenberg, Webern and Berg; the films of Chaplin, Vertov and Eisenstein; the aesthetic implications of psychoanalysis and biblical exegesis; classical music; and more.
Presented in the format of a play, with stage setting, student interruptions and exchanges, interjections, auditory noises, and ambient sounds, and complemented with scans of students' notes, Mimesis, Expression, Construction is a groundbreaking addition to the work of one of the greatest modern cultural critics.
Advance Praise
"Mind-blowing... What we get here is not the insight in some secret core of Jameson’s thought lost in later gentrified published versions but, on the contrary, a flow of improvisations and mental experimentations where the detours through secondary topics are often more precious than the main line of argumentation."
-- Slavoj ŽIžek
“Jameson on Adorno? It’s like reading Benjamin on Brecht, or Sartre on Baudelaire. A great Oedipal drama.”
-- T.J. Clark, author of If These Apples Should Fall: Cézanne and the Present
"In rescuing Jameson’s 2003 lectures on Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory from oblivion and presenting them to us in all their messy vitality, Octavian Esanu allows contemporary readers to experience vicariously the struggles of one master dialectician to explicate and criticize the efforts of another."
-- Martin Jay, author of Immanent Critiques: The Frankfurt School under Pressure
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781915672162 |
| PRICE | $40.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 750 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
J. K, Reviewer
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
"Mimesis, Expression, Construction: Fredric Jameson's Seminar on Aesthetic Theory" is a fascinating exploration into the depths of modernist aesthetics through the lens of one of the most influential cultural critics of our time. This book is not just a mere transcription of Fredric Jameson's seminar; it is a vibrant, living document that captures the dynamic interplay between teacher and students as they navigate the complex terrain of aesthetic theory.
The book is presented in an innovative format that mirrors a theatrical play, complete with stage settings, student interruptions, and exchanges. This approach not only brings the seminar to life but also underscores the performative aspect of teaching and learning. The inclusion of ambient sounds and auditory noises adds a layer of authenticity, transporting the reader directly into the classroom at Duke University.
Jameson's engagement with Adorno's Aesthetic Theory is both deep and broad, covering a range of topics from Kant, Hegel, and Freud to the Frankfurt School and beyond. The seminar delves into the works of Thomas Mann and Samuel Beckett, the music of Schoenberg, and the films of Chaplin, offering a rich tapestry of cultural critique.
What stands out in this book is the way Jameson and his students grapple with the concept of aesthetics as a field that straddles the cognitive and the artistic. It is a testament to the idea that understanding art requires a balance between conceptual knowledge and experiential immersion.
The editorial reviews hail the book as "mind-blowing," and it's easy to see why. Jameson's seminar is not just an academic exercise; it is a journey through the "flow of improvisations and mental experimentations" where the detours are as valuable as the main argument. It's a work that challenges the reader to think differently about art and its relation to society.
In conclusion, "Mimesis, Expression, Construction" is a groundbreaking addition to aesthetic theory and a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of art, philosophy, and politics. It is a book that not only informs but also transforms the reader, offering a unique window into the mind of Fredric Jameson and the power of aesthetic thought.
