Evolution of Desire

It is my humble opinion that, when the dust finally settles, René Girard will be considered one of the truly great thinkers of the twentieth century. Do I exaggerate? Read Cynthia Haven’s beautifully written biography and be your own judge. Here is a book that gives us Girard in all his genius and his generosity. I can't recommend it enough.
—Morgan Meis, contributor at The New Yorker and 2013 Whiting Award winner
 

René Girard’s provocative theories on violence, religion, desire, and scapegoating are intensely relevant to contemporary American society. Cynthia Haven offers an account of Girard’s life and ideas that is as compelling as a good detective story. It should receive the widest possible readership.
—David Streitfeld, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for The New York Times
 

Evolution of Desire chronicles the personal history of one of the past century’s seminal thinkers, illuminating the intellectual history that followed in his wake. Written with flair and wit, the book is intelligent and lucid, discerning and compelling.
—Daniel Medin, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature and English, American University of Paris, juror for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize
 

Evolution of Desire is essential reading for Girard devotees and a perfect opening party for newcomers. Rich with details and ideas, Haven’s book gives everything it promises and something more: a personal account of a close friend. She manages to say so much, while still keeping the narration on a deeply personal level. Highly recommended.
—Maria Stepanova, Russian poet, journalist, and publisher of Colta
 

Evolution of Desire is essential reading for Girard devotees and a perfect entrée for newcomers. Rich with details and ideas, Cynthia Haven’s book gives everything it promises and something more: a personal account of a close friend. Highly recommended.
—Maria Stepanova, recipient of the 2005 Andrei Bely Prize for Poetry, the 2018 Big Book Award, and shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize

Cynthia Haven’s fine book on Girard is both brilliant cultural criticism and exquisite intellectual history, and an edifying biographical and ethical tale, providing a philosophical vision of a world beyond monkey-like mimicries and manias that demoralize, dispirit, and dehumanize the contemporary human person. It deserves wide notice and careful reading in a time of massive and pervasive attention-deficit disorder. ~M.D. Aeschliman, www.nationalreview.com