Returning to Irigaray : feminist philosophy, politics, and the question of unity /

Examining the question of unity in Luce Irigaray's corpus, Cimitile (Grand Valley State Univ.), Miller (Miami Univ. in Ohio), and contributors offer a collection of essays engaging the question of whether changes in Irigaray's work over time signal mere stylistic shifts or a more "radical conceptual 'turn.'" The editors argue that Irigaray's later work should not be read as breaking from the unity of her earlier work, but instead as bringing the earlier critical and speculative writing into a political context. They maintain that Irigaray must be read in context and that her later work must be considered in relationship to her earlier writing. Cimitile and Miller aim to uncover the breadth of Irigaray's writing, and see "returning to Irigaray" as a return to themes that have consistently concerned her. One of these themes, "relationality," is reflected in all of the essays in the collection and serves to unify them. The collection draws from many well-known Irigaray scholars, feminist theorists, and Continental philosophers. Given the high level of analysis and range of texts referenced, the volume is best reserved for scholars in the field or for upper-division or graduate-level courses in philosophy or feminist theory. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. M. K. Bloodsworth-Lugo Washington State University