I first heard of The Manifesto of Surrealism in my of my Humanities classes at Florida State University. I don’t remember much of what the professor said about it, but it came up during a discussion of the surrealist movement. Over the years, I ran into it on occasion, like when reading Salvador Dali’s autobiography and in a few documentaries. It seemed interesting and put it on my mental “to read” list.
Fast-forward to a couple of months ago when I discovered an English translation of it on The Anarchist Library website. How I ended up there is another story.
Interestingly enough, there are several versions of the Manifesto, each written by one of two authors, who were also rivals in the early surrealist movement. The copy I read was originally written by Andre Breton in 1924, then reprinted in 1929. The reprint has a short preface, but overall the content remains with little change from the original.
So, how was it? I’ll admit it was a difficult read. Beton was a very florid writer who penned long, eloquent lines of prose. “Overly literary” would be a good way to describe it. And he was opinionated on many topics. Early on, he goes on a tirade against “pop culture”, which, oddly enough, can also be argued today:
“It is this attitude which today gives birth to these ridiculous books, these insulting plays. It constantly feeds on and derives strength from the newspapers and stultifies both science and art by assiduously flattering the lowest tastes…”
Just swap out books and plays with reality television and the line still rings true.
Beton makes some other good points and interesting observations. He spends a good bit of the Manifesto discussing the importance of dreams. I’ve written previously about my dreams and how much they are a part of my creative process, so the following excerpt made me laugh out loud:
“A story is told according to which Saint-Pol-Roux…used to have a notice posted on the door of his manor house…every evening before he went to sleep, which read: THE POET IS WORKING.”
There are also a few other bits that stood out to me:
“…the marvelous is always beautiful, anything marvelous is beautiful, in fact only the marvelous is beautiful.”
and
“I have always been amazed at the way an ordinary observer lends so much more credence and attaches so much more importance to waking events than to those occurring in dreams.”
and
“I believe in the pure Surrealist joy of the man who, forewarned that all others before him have failed, refuses to admit defeat, sets off from whatever point he chooses, along any other path save a reasonable one, and arrives wherever he can.”
That last one resonated deeply with me. Choose your own path and never give up. That’s basically been my mantra from a young age.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend The Manifesto of Surrealism to anyone looking for a casual read. It’s an oddity, something to read if you’re interested in learning more about the origins of the surrealist movement and the thoughts and ideas of the time. It’s a quick read, only 26 pages on my home printer (including a page or so of footnotes), but it’s not necessarily something one would read for pleasure.
But if you’re looking to broaden your knowledge, by all means, download a copy from the site I linked to above.
Let me know your thoughts on surrealism, whether it’s paintings, literature, or film.
RB
I wonder that the post is abrupt on my jetpack side.
Hmm, I’m not sure exactly how Jetpack works as an app. I haven’t used it much. I hope my other posts load properly for you.
Ah, okay. I see now. It’s my tablet problem. It works properly on my phone.
Sounds intriguing, but not for me.
Oh, it’s definitely not for everyone, that’s for sure! 🙂
Nice summary. I think -written- surrealism had its limitations. Painters like Magritte or Dalí took it to another -very high- level.
In itself, it was one of the first attempts at ‘deconstruction’. Probably needed then.
Thanks for the thoughts.
I appreciate your comments, mate, and I agree. I think art as a whole needs an adjustment every now and then to keep things fresh.
Excellent point. Might I add: civilisation does need adjustments every now and then too. 😉
Happy weekend.
Brian
I’ve always been so conflicted about surrealism – it seems so confusing and messy – but with a point to make. The Exquisite Corpses (folded pass-it-along-pictures) were my favourite part… the stories are just all over the shop! I did like Breton’s Manifesto though, I read it cover to cover.
Surrealism can be tricky, for sure. I enjoy the work of Dali and Magritte, and some of the writing exercises have been fun (cut up poems, for example), but there are some works I just don’t get.
Glad you were able to read a copy, Linda. I think we may only a handful of modern folk who have! 🙂
Cut up poems are fun – and yes, it took some tracking down to find the manifesto – but I’m glad I did!
I enjoyed reading your post very much. I studied surrealism at school but I don’t think I really cared much for the movement back then because I thought they took themselves so seriously. I was young then. Now I am far more interested in art movements. I looked it up and I will take time to read it at some point. Thank you for sharing it. 👋👋
Thank you for the kind words, Morag. I think this is more of a curiosity than a ‘must-read’, but I feel it does provide some interesting context to the beginnings of the surrealist movement.
Yes I would imagine so.
I confess it’s not one of my favourite genres
It’s definitely not for everyone, Sheree. 🙂
I came across this manifesto at university as well (in Germany). Later as a specialist for symbolism as in dreams etc. I read it again. Well, I found it unpleasantly illogical and strived controversially, not thast special, but it had quite an influence.
Klausbernd 🙂
I have to agree with you, my friend. It did seem a bit over the top, but it was worth reading for the historical value. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂
There are times when surrealism interests me, but those instances are becoming less frequent. I’m not sure if I’m ready for a deep-dive into Salvador Dali and his peers.
I think the world itself is surreal enough at the moment!
Hah! Very intresting topic which got me thinking about my own personality.
By all means, I am a realist and not much of a dreamer.
Except for when it comes to my drawings. A shark on a unicorn? Great idea! Though, obviously nowhere near realistic. 😄
As for reality shows, I do watch that brainrot, unfortunately 🤭
But as we all start to realize now, more than half of it staged.
And we don’t learn from it.
The shows of today are just as damaging for participants as 2 decades ago.
Actually, there is a good podcast about the consequences of reality tv called
Edge Of Reality: The Story TV’s Too Scared to Tell.
If you’re into podcasts, that is. I seem to be addicted to it 😄
I’ll see if I can find that podcast, Andrea. I’m not much of a reality tv watcher (except for the occasional cooking competition show. I know they’re scripted, but there’s something fun about watching people cook!).
And yes, your doodles show a different side of you – creative, surreal (to a point), and silly. Much more entertaining than a reality tv show. 🙂
Interesting compare and contrast, Richard.
Thanks so much, Pat. 🌹
A thoughtful literary reflection—blending personal memory with intellectual curiosity about surrealism and its lasting artistic influence. ✨📚
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Safia. 🙂