Favorite Surrealist Books

[bashkiewicz]

Hi. Here are some of my Surrealist recommendations. I look forward to reading about other people's favorite surrealist books.

For me, must-read books from the early Surrealists include LIBERTY OR LOVE by Robert Desnos (1926), an absolute masterpiece, THE MAGNETIC FIELDS by Andre Breton & Philippe Soupault (1919), the first book of automatic writing and really the beginning of Surrealism, and DEATH TO THE PIGS by Benjamin Peret (1926), a surrealist novel that contains an incredible sense of freedom and humor.

I would also recommend Federico Garcia Lorca's POET IN NEW YORK (1929), an amazing collection of poetry. While not officially a member of the Paris Surrealists, Lorca was close friends with Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel and created a number of works in the surrealist spirit. Speaking of Dali & Bunuel, I've always enjoyed Dali's outrageous autobiographies, including THE SECRET LIFE OF SALVADOR DALI, DIARY OF A GENIUS and THE UNSPEAKABLE CONFESSIONS OF SALVADOR DALI. There's also a book of Bunuel's prose called AN UNSPEAKABLE BETRAYAL, which contains a wonderful surrealist story called ILLEGIBLE - THE SUN OF A FLUTE, written in 1928.

Other recommendations include Volume One of Antonin Artaud's complete works, which includes his early collections CORRESPONDENCE WITH JACQUES RIVIERE and NERVE SCALES. His writing from this period (the mid to late 1920s) is harrowing and unrelenting. Also, it's hard to find, but I've always loved Benjamin Peret's MAD BALLS. It was published by Atlas Press a number of years ago, with illustrations by Yves Tanguy. It's pornographic, blasphemous, and absolutely hilarious!

If you're really into Surrealist writing, I welcome you to check out my website SURREALISM-PLAYS.COM, which includes a lot of info on Surrealist writers and books. I also have a book of surrealist plays (SANCTUS FUMIGACI by Todd Bash), but, certainly, the above classics are first priority.

I look forward to other writers sharing their thoughts about Surrealist literature.

Todd Bash

[billy the poet]

that's so hardcore
i mean you would't give credit to picasso and expressionism?
man i am into dadas
and Garcia Lorca..

and beat kerouac
''10. No time for poetry but exactly what is''
the merry pranksters! Tom Wolfe The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
Allen Ginsberg Allen Ginsberg!
and i mean music! you understand
like talking surrealism ..like an adjective
post-post-post-post-post-post you see
i will definitly cite Anthony Burgess Clockwork Orange as a favorite no doubt
that one is electric

but thank you for recommendations i will have my eyes open for something
and thumbs up for doing that website really

[billy the poet]

also do watch Cat Soup by Tatsuo Sato, it's on video.google.com
it's the one that's 32 min

[MagicSeeker]

Hello, This may be a small contribution but, after over 20 years of reading about the original Surreaolists, I finally found an English-Speaking Surreal Poet who got his start along with the other Surrealists. He's either British or American. He's great -check him out -David Gascoyne. Some of his Surrealist Writings & Poetry can be found on the net -undiluted from French to English translations -English Surrealist Poetry like the American or British poet from the start... http://www.connectotel.com/gascoyne/
Thank you, MagicSeeker

[Danny Truant]

check out Les Chants de Maldoror by the Comte de Lautréamont. intense shit.