Seven Essential Books on Surrealism

A curated list of seven books offers a comprehensive overview of Surrealism, from André Breton's foundational manifestos to critical analyses and historical accounts. The selection includes Breton's Manifesti del Surrealismo (Einaudi, 2003), covering texts from 1924 to 1953; the Dictionnaire de l'objet surréaliste (Gallimard/Centre Pompidou, 2013) edited by Didier Ottinger, published for the 2013-2014 exhibition 'Le surréalisme et l'objet' in Paris; Mirella Bandini's La vertigine del moderno (Officina, 1986), tracing the movement from Breton's psychiatric background to the late 1950s; Robert Lebel's Il Surrealismo come tergicristallo (Johan & Levi, 2018), a collection of writings from 1943 to 1984 by a close associate of Breton; Processo al Surrealismo (Fazi, 2007) featuring a debate between Jean Clair and Régis Debray; Jules François Dupuis's Controstoria del Surrealismo (Arcana, 1978), a leftist critique by situationist Raoul Vaneigem under pseudonym; and Dawn Ades and Simon Baker's Undercover Surrealism (The MIT Press, 2006), focusing on Georges Bataille and the magazine Documents, published in collaboration with Hayward Gallery in London.