The Dedalus Book of Surrealism

By Michael Richardson,

Book cover of The Dedalus Book of Surrealism: The Identity of Things

Book description

Comprised of works by authors from 17 countries, these volumes provide the most extensive assemblage of surrealist writing, much of which is here translated into English for the first time. "The Identity of Things" introduces surrealism's reworking of the fairy tale and the Gothic novel, its essays in the myths,…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The Dedalus Book of Surrealism as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Some of the stories in this collection, like my own stories, use surreal metaphor, expressing poetic imagery in prose form; others are more about the thrill of absurdity. Though surrealism existed before the term or movement existed (in visual art and literature e.g. Lewis Carroll, Hieronymus Bosch, etc.), Andre Breton and his mates really went for it. Here you can read works by Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel, Louis Aragon, Leonora Carrington, and more. What I love about all of these artists is their obvious joy in discovering the surreal or poetic image, a joy I know well, and their absolute…

Want books like The Dedalus Book of Surrealism?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Dedalus Book of Surrealism.

Browse books like The Dedalus Book of Surrealism

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in surrealism, magical realism, and dark comedy?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about surrealism, magical realism, and dark comedy.

Surrealism Explore 103 books about surrealism
Magical Realism Explore 408 books about magical realism
Dark Comedy Explore 269 books about dark comedy