Looking for reccomendations

[NEEMAN]

Hi guys, I'm starting my final year project in university (basically a 13,000 word research project; nothing too major), and I'm basing it around the presentation of urban & 'modern' life (by 'modern' I don't necessarily mean works set in or close to our present) in American literature.

I'm putting together my working bibliography (which I'd really rather not do so soon, because it seems arbitrary at best given how little time we have to put it together), and I was wondering if any of you could reccomend some novels which deal with the city, city life or technology, written in the 20th century. I already have a short list, but I imagine some of you might be able to help by suggesting books that I may not have heard of or heard much about, or by reminding me of work I am familiar with, but which just didn't occur to me.

Don't be shy; just give me some names that I can follow up! Thanks!

[Wilde woman]

I wrote a paper on this subject in my 3rd year of college. The novel I looked was Nadja by Andre Breton. My class was on the European avant-garde, Dada, and Futurism. This was a novel that looked at the city of Paris in a brand new way.

Good luck!

[Bitterfly]

Difficult. Funnily enough, I can remember far more vivid city descriptions in 19th century novels... The first that came to mind for the 20th was Ulysses, actually. I suppose Dubliners could work as well. I also thought of Berlin Alexanderplatz (Doblin), The stories of St Petersburg (don't know the exact title in English) by Gogol! Obviously the New York Trilogy... Quenaud's wonderful books often take place in Paris (Zazie in the metro...). Brick Lane, by Monica Ali. Je me souviens, George Pérec.

Did you look into the futurists for technology (or in Women in Love, Loerke who if I remember well represents them)?

[Etienne]

He said "in american literature".

Then should should surely look at John Dos Passos...

[Bitterfly]

Ooops! Sorry! :blush: There are quite vivid city descriptions in Toni Morrison's Jazz (a few passages about how the city makes black newcomers forget their roots, in particular), in Ellison's Invisible Man (riots in Harlem, plus his deambulations in New York), Don DeLillo's Cosmopolis...

Will you be able to give us a few from your list? I'm really interested. :)