The Absence of Myth: Writings on Surrealism

TLDR

Bataille framed the “absence of myth” as the myth of the modern age, viewing surrealism as both a symptom of and response to a post‑war world that had lost its sense of cohesion. The book argues that Bataille’s work is a pivotal cultural and social study, revealing him as a radical Marxist thinker whose pessimism is distinct from nihilism and whose complex ties to surrealism and Breton reshape our understanding of the movement. Introduced and translated by Michael Richardson.

Abstract

For Bataille, 'the absence of myth' had itself become the myth of the modern age. In a world that had 'lost the secret of its cohesion', Bataille saw surrealism as both a symptom and the beginning of an attempt to address this loss. His writings on this theme are the result of profound reflection in the wake of World War Two. The Absence of Myth is the most incisive study yet made of surrealism, insisting on its importance as a cultural and social phenomenon with far-reaching consequences. Clarifying Bataille's links with the surrealist movement, and throwing revealing light on his complex and greatly misunderstood relationship with Andre Breton, The Absence of Myth shows Bataille to be a much more radical figure than his postmodernist devotees would have us believe: a man who continually tried to extend Marxist social theory; a pessimistic thinker, but one as far removed from nihilism as can be. Introduced and translated by Michael Richardson.