Hélène Cixous: Texture mythique et alchimique (review)

Cixous remains one of the most prolific authors of contemporary France, and her work continues to have a powerful impact on an impressive spectrum of interdisciplinary artistic practices. The last five years have witnessed a marked increase in translation of a wider range of her more recent writings to bring about better recognition of a profile that extends far beyond the imposed label of French feminist theory. Zupancic’s study provides detailed engagement with Cixous’ fictions of the last 15 years and proves a welcome addition to the field in its commendably fluid approach that combines the close textual analysis of individual books with the identification of central concerns that traverse the fabric of the Cixousian project. The volume’s many sections provide stimulating analysis of a wide range of subjects including Cixous’ dialogues with Derrida, the sacred body, scriptural fidelity, writing and loss, maternal genealogies and female deities. While the Introduction is rich in its extensive affirmation of the force salvatrice of Cixous’ writing, a more detailed (and more closely referenced) exposition of the critical parameters of the volume’s approach, described as ‘mythocritique et mythanalytique’ (p. 7), is missing. Indeed engagements with the work of Bucher and Durand, which appear much later but which clearly inform the whole text, would have been better placed in these early sections. It remains in the second half of the book, where the overarching focus on orphisme is less pronounced, that the most engaging and detailed analyses emerge. Zupancic’s exploration of the tropes of sacrifice in L’Amour du loup (2003) and the structures of alterity in Manhattan (2002) are particularly cogent and insightful. These sections also succeed in addressing the political imperatives of recasting (and often re-gendering) narratives of classical mythology to provide powerful narratives for a radical Imaginary. Although it remains regrettable that the labelling of Cixous’ plays (here, La Ville parjure. . .) as a ‘théâtre de tête’ (p. 95) works to underplay the impact of dramatic collaboration and theatrical practice on Cixous’ wider scriptural processes, its inclusion strengthens the critical framework of the volume. The Conclusion is somewhat weakened in focus through its (otherwise laudable) desire to include brief responses to Cixous’ continuing prolific output. This study constitutes a valuable addition to the field and will be of specific interest to those exploring Cixous’ recent fictions.