The Book of Masks
Enriched edition. Exploring Beauty, Truth, and Self-Expression through Literary MasksBy Remy de Gourmont
Length4h 21m
About this audiobook
In "The Book of Masks," Remy de Gourmont artfully explores the intricate interplay between identity and appearance through a series of evocative essays and philosophical musings. Written during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by rapid societal change and the questioning of traditional values, the book showcases Gourmont's lush prose style, characterized by vivid imagery and psychological depth. Each essay invites readers to peel away layers of societal facades, revealing the often hidden complexities of human nature and self-presentation, resonating profoundly with the Symbolist movement's preoccupations with aesthetics and inner truth. Remy de Gourmont, a prominent literary figure and a leading voice in avant-garde thought, delved into diverse disciplines such as linguistics, philosophy, and art, establishing himself as a critic of the era's conventional mores. His experiences with the bohemian culture in Paris and his profound understanding of contemporary literature inclined him toward themes of duality and mask-wearing in social contexts. This intellectual backdrop informed his creation of "The Book of Masks," which serves not merely as a collection of essays but as an incisive critique of identity politics through the ages. For readers interested in the philosophical underpinnings of identity, "The Book of Masks" offers a captivating blend of scholarly insight and lyrical beauty. Gourmont's work encourages contemplation of the masks we wear in society, inviting us to reflect on our authenticity in an increasingly complex world. Engaging and thought-provoking, this seminal text is a must-read for those intrigued by the nuances of human persona and the art of self-representation.
In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (25)
Includes Goodreads
GenrePhilosophy
Length4 hrs 21 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 19, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
6The Book of Masks (pt. 2)
2Introduction
7Analysis
3Synopsis
8Reflection
4Historical Context
9Memorable Quotes
5The Book of Masks (pt. 1)
More from Remy de Gourmont
Physique de l'Amour: Essai sur l'instinct sexuelRemy de Gourmont5h 41m3.7 (84)$1.99 · $0.00
Very Woman (Sixtine)Remy de Gourmont8h 28m3.6 (40)$1 · $0.00
Le Pèlerin du silenceRemy de Gourmont4h 1m3.8 (10)$1 · $0.00
A Virgin HeartRemy de Gourmont5h 11m3.5 (17)$2 · $0.00
Philosophic Nights in ParisRemy de Gourmont2h 27m$2 · $0.00
Le Pèlerin du silenceRemy de Gourmont4h 3m$2 · $0.00
Physik der LiebeRemy de Gourmont6h 36m$2 · $0.00
Metaphysics (Annotated)Aristotle13h 30m4.6 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
Sceptical Essays (Annotated)Bertrand Russell9h 16m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
WitnessAriel Burger8h 1m4.6 (1.3K)$20 · $0.00
The Art of LivingThich Nhat Hanh5h 1m4.5 (14.2K)$24 · $0.00
Moral Letters to LuciliusLucius Annaeus Seneca24h 26m4.5 (71.7K)$1.99 · $0.00
IlluminationsWalter Benjamin10h 12m4.4 (16.2K)$20 · $0.00
That Bird Has My WingsJarvis Jay Masters9h 49m4.4 (13.7K)$29 · $0.00
Tâo Teh KingLaozi2h 34m4.4 (230.9K)$2 · $0.00
Buddhist Boot CampTimber Hawkeye2h 39m4.4 (8.4K)$18 · $0.00
Enchiridion & The Discourses of Epictetus (Annotated)Arrian Epictetus18h 9m4.4 (3.5K)$2 · $0.00
The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius AntoninusEmperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius5h 41m4.4 (1.8M)$1 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoevsky23h 11m4.4 (1.3M)$12 · $0.00
MeditationsMarcus Aurelius5h 52m4.4 (433.7K)$1 · $0.00
Everyday DharmaSuneel Gupta5h 2m4.5 (761)$20 · $0.00
The Joyful Wisdom ("La Gaya Scienza")Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche11h 37m4.4 (26.6K)$1 · $0.00
The Art of LivingEpictetus, Sharon Lebell3h 16m4.4 (50.1K)$18 · $0.00
Sadhana: the realisation of lifeRabindranath Tagore3h 49m4.4 (8.6K)$6 · $0.00
SapiensYuval Noah Harari15h 18m4.3 (1.4M)$33 · $0.00
You BelongSebene Selassie8h 35m4.4 (2.7K)$26 · $0.00
The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata)Anonymous2h 18m4.4 (3.2K)$2 · $0.00
You may also like
The Money GameAdam Smith7h 42m4.1 (2.1K)$15 · $0.00
Biographia Literaria (Annotated)Samuel Taylor Coleridge13h 15m3.8 (1K)$0.99 · $0.00
MozartJan Swafford30h 23m4.4 (1.6K)$53 · $0.00
PersonaeEzra Pound2h 10m4.2 (1.8K)$2 · $0.00
Essays: First Series. FriendshipRalph Waldo Emerson39m4.2 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Lyrical Ballads and other Poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge21h 8m4.1 (16.3K)$2 · $0.00
Nicomachean EthicsAristotle8h 49m4.3 (74.1K)$1.20 · $0.00
Wilkie CollinsPeter Ackroyd6h 59m3.8 (1.3K)$17
Society and Solitude Twelve ChaptersRalph Waldo Emerson7h4.1 (1.4K)$2.30
On ColorDavid Scott Kastan5h 54m3.9 (1.1K)$20
Harvard Classics - Complete Collection of the Greatest Works of World Literature (Annotated)Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Thomas Carlyle, Plato, Charles Darwin, Dante Alighieri, Euripides, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charles Lamb, Samuel Johnson, John Stuart Mill, David Hume, Joseph Addison, Leigh Hunt, Epictetus, Thomas De Quincey, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Jonathan Swift, Christopher Marlowe, Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, William Hazlitt, Marcus Tullius Cicero, Daniel Defoe, Aesop, Richard Henry Dana, John Dryden, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, John Ruskin, Robert Burns, David Garrick, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Izaak Walton, John Bunyan, Homer, Edmund Burke, Plutarch, Molière, Aeschylus, Sophocles, William Makepeace Thackeray, Benjamin Franklin, Pierre Corneille, Jean Racine, Robert Browning, Oliver Goldsmith, John Milton, Aristophanes, Virgil, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, William Penn, Philip Sidney, Francis Bacon, Adam Smith, Alessandro Manzoni, Abraham Cowley, Ben Jonson, John Woolman, Sydney Smith, Marcus Aurelius, Hans Christian Andersen, George Gordon Byron, Thomas à Kempis, Richard Steele, Thomas Browne, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Miguel de Cervantes, Friedrich von Schiller, Pliny the Younger, Saint Augustine1376h 45m4.5 (2.4K)$2 · $0.00
Great Pianists on Piano Playing (Annotated)James Francis Cooke8h 13m4.2 (264)$2 · $0.00
The Physiology of Taste; Or, Transcendental Gastronomy (Annotated)Brillat-Savarin7h 45m4.2 (4.6K)$0.99 · $0.00
Behavior in Public PlacesErving Goffman8h 26m4.1 (634)$20 · $0.00
More TriviaLogan Pearsall Smith1h 21m3.6 (20)$2 · $0.00
THE TRUTH OF MASKSOscar Wilde2h 28m3.4 (106)$2 · $0.00
Screen TestsKate Zambreno6h 7m3.8 (773)$24 · $0.00
The Vivian PoemsBruce Rice1h 43m$26
SargentT. Martin Wood55m$2 · $0.00
Philosophy Talk, Vol. 5John Perry, Ken Taylor8h 12m$20