Description
ThisbookisthefollowuptothepreviousvolumeONBEAUTY.Apparentlybeautyanduglinessareconceptsthatimplyeachother,andbyuglinessweusuallymeantheoppositeofbeauty,soallweneeddoisdefinethefirsttounderstandthenatureofthesecond.Butthevariousmanifestationsofuglinessoverthecenturiesarericherandmoreunpredictablethaniscommonlythought.
Theanthologicalquotationsandtheextraordinaryillustrationsinthisbookleadusonasurprisingjourneyamongthenightmares,terrors,andlovesofalmostthreethousandyears,whereactsofrejectiongohandinhandwithtouchinggesturesofcompassion,andtherejectionofdeformityisaccompaniedbydecadentecstasiesoverthemostseductiveviolationsofallclassicalcanons.
Amongdemons,madmen,horribleenemies,anddisquietingpresences,amonghorridabyssesanddeformitiesthatvergeonthesublime,amongfreaksandthelivingdead,wediscoveravastandoftenunsuspectediconographicvein.Somuchsothat,ongraduallyencounteringinthesepagestheuglinessofnature,spiritualugliness,asymmetry,disharmony,disfigurement,andthesuccessionofthingssordid,weak,vile,banal,random,arbitrary,coarse,repugnant,clumsy,horrendous,vacuous,nauseating,criminal,spectral,witchlike,satanic,repellent,disgusting,unpleasant,grotesque,abominable,odious,crude,foul,dirty,obscene,frightening,abject,monstrous,hair-raising,ugly,terrible,terrifying,revolting,repulsive,loathsome,fetid,ignoble,awkward,ghastlyandindecent,thefirstforeignpublishertoseethisbookexclaimed:'Howbeautifuluglinessis'
Details
Released: Tue 1 Jan 2008
Catalogue Number: 9781846551222
Availabilty
Estimated despatch 14-20 days after ordering.