Brilliantly written in an open style, complex and persuasive. Ronell moves like no other between the recesses of philosophy and the intensities of contemporary culture, offering us here a theory of melancholy's mainly hapless relation to protest.--Judith Butler, author of Parting Ways: Jewishness and the Critique of Zionism
Beyond adding a further dimension to Ronell's critique of contemporary modes of scholarly inquiry, which has already transformed the study of modern literature and thought, Complaint accomplishes a surprising task: it celebrates the voice of complaint as the subtle tissue in which fragile ties of friendship have a chance to survive.--Peter Fenves, author of The Messianic Reduction: Walter Benjamin and the Shape of Time