Production of Presence: What Meaning Cannot Convey Book

I'm ambivalent about Gumbrecht. I think the chapter entitled "Beyond Meaning..." is wonderful and his illusion that power is more sinister than physical violence is politically and theoretically fruitful. But herein lies the most frustrating thing about this book: G. resists and negates the political implications of his work! The rest of the book reads as sentimental wallowing. It feels as if Gumbrecht has fallen prey to impulse male scholars have to "feminize" themselves and their disciplines, bemoaning their positions of entitlement and power for not being edgy enough. (See Braidotti's "Nomadic Subjects" for more on this comment.)

The long and short of it: At times, Gumbrecht reads as a baby. But Ch 3 is worth a read.