The Thief’s Journal
The Thief’s Journal by Jean Genet, published by Grove Press on August 21, 2018, is a significant work of autobiographical fiction comprising 272 pages. This edition presents Genet’s exploration of his life experiences, recounting the narrator’s journey across Europe in the 1930s from a prison cell. The narrative delves into themes of spirituality, eroticism, and the complexities of identity as the protagonist navigates life as a vagabond, pickpocket, and occasional prostitute.
Readers will find a sensuous and philosophical reflection on freedom and confinement, as well as the heroism associated with an outlaw’s life. The journal intertwines acts of theft and sexual encounters, elevating them to a ritualistic level that speaks to the narrator’s quest for meaning. This edition, enriched by an introduction from Patti Smith, aims to introduce Genet’s legendary insights to new audiences while maintaining the lyrical essence that characterizes his work.
Official synopsis Publisher
First published in France in 1949, The Thief’s Journal is Jean Genet’s iconic work of autobiographical fiction. This new edition brings his legendary genius to future generations of readers, with an introduction by Genet’s great admirer, Patti Smith.
From a prison cell, the journal’s narrator recounts his travels across Europe in the 1930s―as a vagabond, pickpocket, and occasional prostitute―in pursuit of spiritual fulfilment through erotic trysts and evil deeds. Worshipping his own holy trinity of homosexuality, theft, and betrayal, he conducts every burglary, and each sexual encounter, with the elaborate, reverent ritual of a religious ceremony. Dressed in rags and stealing for his survival, he must evade the authorities for as long as possible.
A sensuous and philosophical reverie on freedom within confinement, the heroism of the outlaw, and deception as the ultimate act of devotion, The Thief’s Journal exemplifies the exquisitely lyrical combination of fact and fiction that made Genet a major figure in world literature.
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