Tropisms

by Nathalie Sarraute

Book Overview

Hailed as a masterpiece by Jean Genet, Marguerite Duras, and Jean-Paul Sartre, Tropisms is considered one of the defining texts of the nouveau roman movement. Nathalie Sarraute has defined her work as the "movements that are hidden under the commonplace, harmless instances of our everyday lives." Like figures in a grainy photograph, Sarraute's characters are blurred and shadowy, while her narrative never develops beyond a stressed moment. Instead,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811222764
• ISBN13: 9780811222761
• Release Date: November 2015
• Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

her best book

For anyone who loves language and literature, this book is a must. In Tropisms, Sarraute succeeded in creating a work that is inspiring, heartbreaking, and so full of life that it still seems fresh and new. A must for any would-be writer--this is what great use of language is all about.

The start of greater things

Tropisms are, as the author says, movements of the mind... movements most of us are not aware of, even though they are insepperable from human existance. This book is an attempt to express on paper what these tropisms look like, in short episodes of no more that two or three pages.For people interested in new forms of expression or thinking about writing, this may be a place to start. For those who want to read something unlike most of the stories they encounter from day to day, this will be it.

Tropisms-- the ingredients of character

A fascinating book for any writer or student of language. Tropisms doesn't tell a story so much as paint a scene and/or communicate feeling. Sarraute's language --originally written in the late 1930's-- for the most part still feels modern and fresh, in part due to her unconventional and brave writing style. Tropisms is a thin book I carry with me in my daytime planner and read over and over again. Sarraute's ability to clearly describe the most mundane actions and feelings is an excellent training ground for writers. I learn something new about words, language, and humanity every time I open this book.