Hey lit,
I have never read any postmodern fiction.
I have read many classics; lots of Greeks, all Shakespeare, 18th and 19th century lit (mostly Russian, French and British), modernists, etc.
The closest thing to postmodern I've read would probably be Borges.
Anyways, my question is what do you suggest for my first? Maybe a short, few book, reading order to get into it?
Should I just jump right in to OP? You all seem to like it.
quit beating around the bush and read Gravity's Rainbow
Lot 49
>>7439492
Read Lowry and Gaddis and Hawkes first.
>>7439492
If you already know how to read and have read Borges just dive into Gravity's Rainbow desu, the effect won't be any worse for it.
>>7439492
Read some intro-level engineering, math and physics books then watch a history channel documentary on Nazi rocketry while making up silly names for everyone you see on screen. There you go, the entirety GR experience.
'Postmodern fiction' is a stupid category used by pseudointellectuals
Consider it new modernism
If you can read the modernists you can read the postmodernists
Cool, thanks guys. Sound like I should just pick one I find interesting and jump in.
>>7439550
How come?
>>7439550
Where to begin with Lowry?
Ol' Tommy P was trashed on weed when writing the whole book, so just pick it up and enjoy the ride. Save thinking about it in depth for a second read
Read:
White Noise
Times Arrow
If On A Winters Night a Traveler
Crying of Lot 49(not even that good, but you should read it before his other stuff)
In that order IMO.
>>7439492
Try "La Invención de Morel".
>>7441246
For the record, this is what I teach in my postmodern literature class. I've taught it for a couple of years every semester now, and this order is really successful at working people into postmodern ideas. I always throw in a random book at the end, this semester it was The Convalescent because I had the opportunity to have the author speak to my students, but these four are a really really good foundation. They cover the range. Times Arrow applies extreme postmodern ideas to an emotional, relatable, and most importantly engaging story. It isn't hard to read, and that's why I like it early. But White Noise is first because it is a traditional story with, well, a lot of postmodern noise. It's littered with ideas taken from more abstract postmodern books in a way that is still readable as someone's first properly postmodern book.
if on a winter's night is the most important postmodern novel and it makes sense after the others.
I teach Pynchon because of his exceeding popularity compared to most other options I may have. A lot of the people who take my class only talk about him on the first day when I ask what they think of as a postmodern novel. After the first semester I realized I should really have one of his books in the course, so it's become one of my four standard choices.
Anyway, hope this helps. I'd recommend taking some time to read up on these four books online. If you fully understand them and their ideas you will have a great tool kit moving forward into more difficult literature.
>>7441217
Under the Volcano.
>>7439952
Gaddis and Hawkes are some of the first Postmodernists. The Cannibal came out in 1955, and was the precursor to a lot of the literary techniques that we now associate with Postmodernism.
Also, you should read McElroy. If you are going from realism to postmodernism, it will be an easier transition through McElroy.
>>7441325
>Also, you should read McElroy. If you are going from realism to postmodernism, it will be an easier transition through McElroy.
Yeah, but good luck trying to find a reasonably-priced copy of Women & Men. Why Dalkey Archive Press doesn't reprint that book, I'll never understand. It is the only book they don't continuously publish, I think
>>7439560
> <label> is a stupid category used by pseudointellectuals
> Consider it <another label>
First read Borges' Ficciones. He's considered by many to be the bridge between Modernism and Postmodernism.
Some easy and good reads after that are The New York Trilogy, The Things They Carried, and White Noise.
House of Leaves is good intermediate step.
From there, check out Pynchon and Wallace if you like maximalism and long ass sentences. I'd personally recommend Julio Cortazar, though I don't understand what he's getting at half the fucking time he's still great.
Finish with The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy which feels postmodern yet was written in the 1700s and shows how silly of an "ism" it is.
What is post-modernism anyway and what makes it different than modernism?
>>7441685
post-modernism is the friends we made along the way
>>7441267
Awesome! This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you!
>>7441325
This is great too, thanks!
>>7441651
>Borges
>considered by many to be the bridge between Modernism and Postmodernism
That claim is downright pontine.
>>7441963
i'd say felipe alfau is closer to that bridge.
>>7441537
No, I mean
>hyperspecific label whose definition noone can agree on is stupid (postmodern)
>use broad label (modernism)
