Book excerpt: This book offers a study of the whole of Duras's written oeuvre, covering journalism and lesser-known works as well as more famous texts. It brings out the constant presence of ethical questions in and around the experiences of passion and excess with which her work is always concerned, andsubjects Duras's texts to an unprecedented level of close reading, carrying her beyond the terms of her usual reception. On the basis of this approach, and with reference to Duras's involvement with her intellectual and political contexts, the book demonstrates the detailed engagement of Duras'swriting in the ethical and political issues of her day. Careful textual analysis shows the particular, fragile nature of this engagement, as well as the intricate textures of Duras's work; this leads to a striking new model of the relation between the literary text and the ethical life of itsreaders, which will be of importance not only to specialists in French Studies, but to all those interested in ethical criticism and modern literary studies.