Sexual Dissidence: Augustine to Wilde, Freud to Foucault

Sexual Dissidence traces the cultural history of sexual transgression and deviance from Saint Augustine through Oscar Wilde and into the twentieth century. The book examines how dissident sexuality has been represented and theorized across literature, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. Dollimore analyzes key figures including Augustine, Shakespeare, Wilde, Freud, and Foucault to map the evolution of ideas about sexual deviation and desire. The text moves between historical periods and intellectual traditions to establish connections between religious, literary, and psychological frameworks for understanding sexuality. The investigation centers on how culture constructs and pathologizes sexual dissidence, while also revealing how dissidents themselves have challenged dominant sexual ideologies. Key episodes include Augustine's struggles with desire, Shakespeare's treatment of perverse love, and Wilde's radical challenging of Victorian sexual mores. The book contributes to queer theory and cultural studies by revealing how dissident sexuality has served as a site of both oppression and resistance throughout Western history. Through its sweeping historical scope, it demonstrates the centrality of sexual transgression to cultural change and intellectual development.

Readers note the book's dense theoretical analysis of sexuality and dissidence through literary and philosophical texts. Many appreciate Dollimore's detailed examination of Augustine, Wilde, and other figures through a queer theory lens. Likes: - Deep engagement with complex philosophical concepts - Strong connections between historical and modern sexuality discourse - Thorough analysis of transgression and perversion themes Dislikes: - Writing style called "unnecessarily complex" and "jargon-heavy" - Some sections seen as repetitive - Arguments can be difficult to follow without extensive theory background Ratings: Goodreads: 4.12/5 (49 ratings) Amazon: 4.0/5 (2 ratings) "Intellectually rigorous but requires serious concentration," notes one Goodreads reviewer. Another states it's "not for casual readers but rewards careful study." Several academic reviews praise its theoretical framework while acknowledging its challenging nature. Online discussion forums show graduate students and researchers referencing it frequently in queer theory and sexuality studies contexts.

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🔖 This influential 1991 work helped establish "queer theory" as an academic field, bridging literary criticism with sexuality studies. 📚 Dollimore argues that sexual dissidence - challenging dominant sexual norms - has been a crucial force in Western culture for centuries, not just in modern times. 🎭 The book draws unexpected connections between seemingly disparate figures, from Saint Augustine to Oscar Wilde, showing how their writings all engage with sexual transgression. 💡 Jonathan Dollimore introduced the concept of "perverse dynamics" - the idea that dominant culture is paradoxically dependent on the very things it claims to oppose. 📖 The text examines how desire and death are interlinked in literature, particularly focusing on how transgressive sexuality often appears alongside themes of mortality in major works.