The Intimate Resistance is a keen, deeply beautiful reflection on the human condition in which Esquirol draws on philosophers such as Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, and Nietzsche as he develops his theory of how intimacy and a celebration of the everyday can warm, protect and guide. Interspersed with moments of beautiful, almost poetic prose that Esquirol uses to draw attention to the beauty surrounding us, this inspirational essay can, at its most intense moments, take your breath away. Already a modern classic in its original Catalan, The Intimate Resistance will change the way you look at daily life, and provide insights to be pondered for years to come.
About the Author :
Josep Maria Esquirol is a philosopher, essayist and scholar at the University of Barcelona. His work focuses on contemporary philosophy and its relationship with psychiatry. Esquirol's essay, The Intimate Resistance, centres around a philosophical theory he developed, the "philosophy of proximity". The Intimate Resistance won the Premi Ciutat de Barcelona and the Premio Nacional de Ensayo.
Douglas Suttle is a writer, translator and editor based in Catalonia. As well as writing for several newspapers and magazines throughout Europe, he translates to and from Catalan and English for a number of publishing houses and has collaborated with various governmental agencies in the promotion of Catalan language. In addition to his English-language work, in 2021 his verse translation of Beowulf will be published in Catalan.
Review :
“Against our compulsive immediateness and hyperconnectivity, against permanent public exposition and dispersion, Esquirol proposes the pausing, talking clearing, proximity, difference, reflection, the reinvention of
the gaze, the return to thought.”
Josep Massot, La Vanguardia
“It’s one of those books that will never go out of fashion and I dare say that his reflections will serve as a reference for future generations.”
Lluís Foix, El Punt Avui
“A captivating essay that focusses on stimulating, intentional reflection. And, very importantly, it is magnificently
written. Don’t miss it.”
Guillem Pufarré, El Temps
“A philosophical essay, as deep as it is entertaining, that promotes fundamental values.”
Josep Maria Ripoll, Serra d’Or
