Jean-Max Gaudilliere studied classical literature at the Ecole normale superieure (ENS) in Paris before becoming a psychoanalyst. He was a professor at the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales (EHESS) and was a member of the Center for the Study of Social Movements (CSSM), founded by Alain Touraine, research director at the EHESS. In the weekly seminar called "Madness and the Social Link," held for forty years at the EHESS, Gaudilliere combined his clinical work with the exploration of literary works dealing with the madness of war. The focus of his clinical work was the impact of historical catastrophes on personal lives. He is the co-author of two books written with Francoise Davoine: History Beyond Trauma and A Word to the Wise.
This book provides a psychoanalytic reading of works of literature, enhancing the illuminating effect of both fields.
The second of two volumes, The Birth of a Political Self: The Jean-Max... (more)