Each part of the book is balanced: the selection of cultural texts is as large and appropriate as the literary pieces. They are all discussed with equal sophistication and nuanced analysis, based on agreeing with, but also adding to, the viewpoints of many American and European scholars. The style is clear, straightforward, and matches the coherence of the analysis. This book represents a rich reading of well-known and less known texts in illuminating ways that provoke the desire to engage in further discussions, based on the originality of the connection between self, body, and text. (French Review)