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Eros the bittersweet
First published 1986 · 189 pages
A lyrical and philosophical meditation on the bittersweet nature of romantic desire.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in a quiet room with a brilliant scholar, slowly unraveling the ancient complexities of romantic love. It is a deeply reflective and lyrical meditation that meanders through classical philosophy and literature, examining the concept of desire from numerous vantage points. The prose is poetic yet analytical, inviting the reader to linger over its sentences and contemplate the inherent duality of love as something both bitter and sweet. Without rushing toward a neat conclusion, the text offers a contemplative atmosphere that rewards patience and intellectual curiosity. It will delight readers who crave a profound, beautifully written exploration of how we understand and experience eros.
- Mood
- intellectual
- reflective
- bittersweet
- poetic
- Tone
- lyrical
- meditative
- philosophical
- contemplative
- analytical
- Pace
- meandering
- Themes
- the nature of romantic love · classical philosophy · literary exploration of desire · the duality of eros
- The writing
- Lyrical and meditative, blending poetic sensibility with philosophical rigor.
- The arc
- A thoughtful journey that begins with the universal recognition of love's bittersweet nature and deepens into a profound contemplation of desire.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate deep, poetic explorations of classical literature and the philosophical underpinnings of romantic love.
About the book
A book about romantic love, Eros is Anne Carson's exploration of the concept of "eros" in both classical philosophy and literature. Beginning with, "It was Sappho who first called eros 'bittersweet.' No one who has been in love disputes her," Carson examines her subject from numerous points of view, creating a lyrical meditation in the tradition of William Carlos Williams's Spring and All and William H. Gass's On Being Blue.
Description from Open Library.
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