Bringing together many Surrealist texts that have never previously been available in English, this collection is an essential guide for anyone who wishes to understand the Surrealist movement. Including a wealth of original works, it traces its development in the words of the Surrealists themselves, offering a definitive expression of Surrealism as a collective movement. It shows the extent of Surrealist positions and interests and shows how, having become a major cultural phenomenon of the twentieth century, the issues it has raised remain central to current debates.Covering the period 1922-91, these key texts illuminate its philosophical, political and ethical positions and locate Surrealism in a broader social and cultural context. Comprising statements from Surrealist groups in Paris, Belgium, Romania, Sweden and Czechoslovakia, and signed by the major participants, it reveals the international dimension of Surrealism and shows how it has maintained vitality in response to changing social and political exigencies. Chapters cover the historical orientation of Surrealism; its involvement with revolutionary politics; its ethical concerns and its defence of the "security of the spirit," and its position on colonialism. In particular, the volume brings attention to the extent to which Surrealism represented a "collective adventure" in which their shared interests brought together groups of individuals to explore themes in common. In this sense, Surrealism truly represented, as Andri Masson once described it, a "collective experience of individualism."

The choice of texts for the anthology reflects Richardson (Oriental and African studies, U. of London) and Fijalkowsky's (visual culture and art history, U. of East Anglia) desire to highlight the essence of surrealism as a collective idea whose very rationale is founded in the implications that emerge from any attempt at thinking together. They arrange documents in sections on historical orientation, revolutionary politics, the security of the spirit, and declarations on colonialism. Distributed in the US by Stylus Publishing.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Bringing together many Surrealist texts that have never previously been available in English, this collection should be a useful guide for anyone who wishes to understand the Surrealist movement. It traces its development, offering an expression of Surrealism as a collective movement.