This book is a series of vignettes on the importance of the siesta in paintings, literature, and sculpture. In "Preliminary," we hear of the rhythm of sleep, including the fear babies have of going to sleep. In "The Midday Demon," death in life and erotic dreams take form. The last vignette, "The Siesta Fights Back," shows how the economic necessities of Western society are conquering the siesta. This is a translation from the French of a book that reinstates the value of sleep in waking hours. From mosques, where guards sleep under the protection of Allah, to "slow-food" restaurants in Berlin in 2001, it explores the part sleep plays in human life.

The Art of the Siesta

Paquot, Thierry

Travel

Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd

<p>With charming urbanity and lightness of touch, Thierry Paquot argues the case for those few snatched moments of rest taken during the day in an elegantly illustrated book that will make a handsome gift for any occasion. This refreshingly original contribution to the literature of relaxation is a wonderful, sometimes erotic philosophical read that encourages us to cherish the age-old tradition of the siesta, which has ancient roots in antiquity yet is yielding even in Mediterranean lands to the tyranny of the 9-to-5 workday.<br>Whether a heavy sleep or a five-minute doze, an afternoon nap or a mid-morning daydreaming, the siesta comes in many forms, all of which permit us to relax and reflect in the midst of a hectic daily schedule. More than that, the siesta represents the art of living ― an assertion of human autonomy in an increasingly corporatized and globalized culture. Each chapter muses on a different aspect of the siesta and celebrates the importance of “unconstructed” time as depicted in painting, literature, and philosophy throughout history. These moments of rest are a hidden muse responsible for many of our cultural monuments, and allow an intertwining of the intellectual and the erotic in everyday life. <br>The book is punctuated with 16 illustrations depicting the art inspired by the siesta. The Art of the Siesta is a celebration of those fleeting moments when the mind is free to reflect, enjoy, and recover. As Paquot writes, “the siesta is a means for us to reclaim our own time, outside the clockmakers’ control. The siesta is our liberator.”</p>

Art of the Siesta: A Book About Stealing Moments of Repose

Literature & Fiction

Essays & Correspondence

Universe

L'art de la sieste (Grain d'orage) (French Edition)

ZULMA

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Paquot, Thierry. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Paquot, Thierry