The Glance of the Medusa

The Physiognomy of Mysticism

László F. Földényi

Translated by Jozefina Komporaly

Forthcoming

 

6 x 9 inches, 296pp, 8 halftones March 2019

ISBN : 9780857426086

Rs  799.00 (HB)
$30.00 (HB)
£21.99 (HB)

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In The Glance of the Medusa, Lászó F. Földényi offers a mesmerizing examination of the rich history of European culture through the lens of mythology and philosophy. Embracing the best traditions of essay writing, this volume invites readers on a spiritual and intellectual adventure. The seven essays bear testimony to Földényi’s encyclopedic knowledge and ask whether it is possible to overcome our fear of passing away. In doing so, they illuminate moments of mystical experience viewed in a historical perspective while inviting readers to engage with such moments in the present by immersing themselves into the process of reading and thinking.

 

Rather than providing firm answers to burning questions, The Glance of the Medusa highlights the limits of definition, conjuring up situations in which Man partakes of unutterable experiences—such as passion, pleasure, fear, poetry or disgust—suggesting that moments of ecstasy cannot be pinned down or captured, only drawn a little closer.

László  F. Földényi, professor and chair of the theory of art, University of Theatre, Film, and Television, Budapest, is the prize-winning author of more than 20 books, and his works have been translated in 15 languages. 

 

Jozefina Komporaly is editor and co-translator of the Matéi Visniec's How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients and Other Plays and András Visky's Barrack Dramaturgy: Memories of the Body. Her translations from Hungarian and Romanian have appeared in several journals. 

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