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On Ugliness Umberto Eco

On Ugliness By Umberto Eco

On Ugliness by Umberto Eco


$71.99
Condition - Very Good
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Summary

Sumptuously illustrated and fascinatingly written - a vast store of wisdom on the nature of ugliness by one of our most celebrated contemporary thinkers.

On Ugliness Summary

On Ugliness by Umberto Eco

Beauty and ugliness are two sides of the same coin; by ugliness we usually mean the opposite of beauty and we often define the first in order to understand the nature of the second. But the various depictions of ugliness over the centuries are richer and more unpredictable than is commonly thought. The striking images and anthological quotations in On Ugliness lead us on an extraordinary journey through the passions, terrors and nightmares of almost three thousand years, where acts of rejection go hand in hand with touching instances of empathy, and an aversion to deformity is accompanied by seductive violations of all classical canons. With his characteristic wit and erudition, Umberto Eco draws on examples in art and literature from ancient times to the present day. Abundantly illustrated with demons, madmen, vile enemies and disquieting presences, with freaks and the living dead, On Ugliness is conceived for a vast and diverse readership, and is an invaluable companion volume to On Beauty.

On Ugliness Reviews

'guaranteed to deliver all kinds of provocative and arcane delights. Like most of Eco's work, it defies ready classification, but is surely the better for that. Highly recommended' Historical Novels Review. * Historical Novels Review *

About Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco's first novel, The Name of the Rose (1982), was a huge bestseller which brought him worldwide acclaim. With his subsequent works of fiction, philosophy, literary criticism and semiotics, he has been recognised as one of Europe's finest thinkers. He is currently President of the Scuola Superiore di Studi Humanistici and the University of Bologna. He is also known for his lavishly illustrated anthologies, On Beauty, On Ugliness, The Infinity of Lists and The Book of Legendary Lands.

Table of Contents

Introduction. Ugliness in the Classical World: A World Dominated by Beauty?; The Greek World and Horror. Passion, Death, Martyrdom: The 'Pancalistic' View of the Universe; The Suffering of Christ; Martyrs, Hermits, Penitents; The Triumph of Death. The Apocalypse, Hell and the Devil: A Universe of Horrors; Hell; The Metamorphosis of the Devil. Monsters and Portents: Prodigies and Monsters; An Aesthetic of the Measureless; The Moralisation of Monsters; The Mirabilia; The Destiny of Monsters. The Ugly, the Comic, the Obscene; Priapus; Satires on the Peasantry and Carnival Festivities; The Renaissance and Liberation; Caricature. The Ugliness of Woman Between Antiquity and the Baroque Period: The Anti-female Tradition; Mannerism and the Baroque. The Devil in the Modern World: From Rebellious Satan to Poor Mephistopheles; The Demonisation of the Enemy. Witchcraft, Satanism, Sadism: The Witch; Satanism, Sadism and the Taste for Cruelty. Physica curiosa: Lunar Births and Disembowelled Corpses; Physiognomy. Romanticism and the Redemption of Ugliness: The Philosophies of Ugliness; Ugly and Damned; Ugly and Unhappy; Unhappy and Ill. The Uncanny. Iron Towers and Ivory Towers: Industrial Ugliness; Decadentism and the Licentiousness of the Ugly. The Avant-Garde and the Triumph of Ugliness. The Ugliness of Others, Kitsch and Camp: The Ugliness of Others; Kitsch; Camp. Ugliness Today. Essential Bibliography. Bibliographical References of Translations. Index of Authors and Other Sources. Index of Artists. Credits.

Additional information

GOR003879354
9780857051622
0857051628
On Ugliness by Umberto Eco
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Quercus Publishing
20110929
456
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - On Ugliness