The Edge of Surrealism

“This volume provides an excellent overview of the rich diversity of Caillois’s production. It is to be thoroughly recommended.” - Ceri Crossley , Modern & Contemporary France

". . . I am indebted to Frank for the historic frames she provides. . ." - Allan Graubard , Leonardo Reviews

"[A] valuable collection, as important for its reassessment of Caillois's (and surrealism's) place in the genealogy of French theory, as for its extensive collection of Caillois's shorter writings." - Jonathan P. Eburne , Journal of Modern Literature

"[A]n essential introduction to the writing of [this] French social theorist. . ." - Umbrella

"[R]eaders of Caillois stand deeply indebted . . . [to Frank's] informative commentary. . . . The choice of texts is quite admirable. Many of the familiar essays are included, but there are fascinating and unexpected entries. . . . [Frank] has assembled enough little-known material by one of the more intriguing figures of twentieth-century French thought for this volume to deserve warm welcome from anyone interested in the byways of European intellectual history." - Jeffrey Mehlman , Bookforum

"Although this is a crucial addition to the very few existent translations of Caillois’ work, its publication serves to underscore how neglected this writer is in the English-speaking world. . . . This is a truly important book for students of surrealism, which covers a significant range of Caillois’ writings and provides the reader with a good grounding from which to explore further Caillois’ thought. In its insightful presentation of the complex and multi-disciplinary aspects of Caillois’ thought, Claudine Frank’s commentary is invaluable for both students new to Caillois and for the more advanced reader." - Donna Roberts , Papers of Surrealism

"Claudine Frank’s Reader is the first of its kind and it is wonderful. The translations, the general introduction, the brief presentations of each of the thirty-two pieces, the annotations and the bibliography are of outstanding quality. This is scholarship of a standard that is encountered all too rarely in the contemporary intellectual world, and it is a delight to savour it." - David Macey , Radical Philosophy

"Excellent introductory essays and notes by Frank contextualize Caillois in French intellectual life of the mid-20th century, with clear analysis of his positions and apparent contradictions. . . . The selections and chronological organization provide a subtle analysis of the French world of letters and show the development of Caillois as an intellectual, humanist, and writer, including his time in postwar Argentina and its impact. . . . . Recommended." - J. L. Croissant , Choice

"Frank's Reader will inspire those interested in Caillois to undertake productive adventures in his oeuvre, getting them started but without holding their hands along the way. However, the meticulously documented general introduction, as well as the trenchant introductions to each essay in the book, provide more than enough signposts." - Gary Genosko , Canadian Journal of Sociology

“Roger Caillois has remained relatively unknown in the English-speaking world. This superb selection of his essays, expertly translated, shows the full range of his thought and should place him next to Bataille and the Surrealists as a major intellectual figure in interwar and postwar France. Claudine Frank's general introduction and detailed commentaries on individual essays provide the necessary contexts for understanding this complex, often paradoxical thinker. A first-rate work that is sure to be of interest to all students of 20th-century French thought.”
  - Susan Rubin Suleiman, author of Risking Who One Is: Encounters with Contemporary Art and Literature

”The Edge of Surrealism is the Caillois in one volume that is so badly needed considering the very dispersed status of Caillois’s work and that no such volume exists in any language, not even in France. This selection is excellent, done by someone who not only knows thoroughly the production of the author but knows also what’s most relevant for our contemporary interests.” - Denis Hollier, author of Absent without Leave: French Literature under the Threat of War