20th century philosophical novels

[NeiljFraser]

Can anyone recommend any modern philosophical novels - fiction and non-fiction? I've read some Camus, and that is as far as my knowledge goes. Hoping to take a couple of books on holiday in a few weeks. I'd be very grateful for any advice! Thanks, Neil

[G L Wilson]

Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre would qualify, I think.

[Panglossian]

Sophie's Choice - Jostein Gaarder
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

[Des Essientes]

A Voyage To Arcturus by: David Lindsay (Schopenhauerean)
The Plumed Serpent by: D.H. Lawrence (Nietzschean)
The Story Of An Eye by: Georges Bataille (Sadean)
Dog Years by: Gunter Grass (Heideggerean)

[arrytus]

-The Alexandria Quartet, most notably Justine, -by- Durrell
-In Search of Lost Time -by- Proust
-The Immoralist -by- Gide
-Sartor Resartus -by- Carlyle
-Louis Lambert -by- Balzac

[G L Wilson]

Genre writing was a great 20th century source of philosophy, fantasy and science fiction in particular but not exclusively. Mainstream novels will keep you warm at night as you burn them that much I can say.

[Panglossian]

I've nothing against philosophy in novels, but when the author uses the novel form as a vehicle to expound his or her philosophical and political convictions, that gets my goat.

[Charles Darnay]

Sophie's Choice - Jostein Gaarder
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

All excellent choices....except it's Sophie's World....Sophie's Choice is a bit different...although also philosophical I guess.

[Rores28]

I've nothing against philosophy in novels, but when the author uses the novel form as a vehicle to expound his or her philosophical and political convictions, that gets my goat.

I'm just the opposite... those are my favorites!

[Rores28]

Not novels but Samuel Beckett is very philosophical.

Waiting for Godot is quite dense philosophically, and I believe it is considered to be his masterpiece.

[muazjalil]

1. The Roads to Freedom trilogy by Sartre
2. Brave new world Aldous Huxley (more Dystopian but still philosophical)
3. 1984 Orwell (Same as 2)
4. Zen and the Art of motorcycle maintenance by Robert Pirsig (nothing to do with Motorcycle or Zen....excellent book)
5. Lila by robert pirsig (Kinda like the Part 2 of Zen but not as good as above but still pretty good)

[Brett Cottrell]

Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and The Handmaid's Tale

John Williams's Stoner

Vonnegut: Pretty much anything, they're all about the absurdity of the human situation, but I suggest Cat's Cradle or Galapogos

Kafka The Trial

Heller Catch 22

Bradbury Martian Chronicles

Phillip K. Dick- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner)

Chuck Palahniuk Fight Club

Herta Müller's The Passport and The Appointment

Barnes's A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters

Christopher Moore's Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff

[Kyriakos]

I would not call Kafka's The Trial a 'philosophical' novel. Surely Kafka was a very intelligent person involved in highly theoretical thinking (along with having hyper-anxiety about the basest matters) but i think his novels, and all of his work apart from his diary, are so symbolic that you can hardly claim they are philosophy in any presentable form. I do not doubt that philosophy, and intricate one at that, is part of his work, but it is always presented as a riddle, as a metaphor, or rather webs of metaphors, a complete, closed to itself, allegory
At least that is my take on it. :)

As for my own suggestions: try Hamsun's "Hunger".

[Brett Cottrell]

Let's see.
A distopian societey? Check (while its status as dystopian doesn't prove it's philosophy, it is still indicative).
An all powerful goverment bureaucracy? Check.
The struggle to maintain a sense of both self and communtity in the face of politcal powerlessness? Check.

Now it's not a philosophical novel like The Republic or Brave New World, to be sure. It doesn't lay down a coherent theory of morals or government. And that's part of its brilliance. Perhaps at that point in his life he couldn't define the good society. Nevertheless, he could describe what type of society isn't good, and why.

As a work of political philosophy, it's top knotch.

Having said all that, I just look at most literature from a philosophic standpoint, and that probably taints my view.

Cheers

[cafolini]

I think Kafka is definitely philosophical, even as antiphilosophical. But what does that tell me about the role of philosophy in the 21st century?
Today I view philosophy as a system of confusions that has been put in a museum to never come back to the forefront of literature or where we are going in any non-illusive way. There is too much multiplicity in this postmodern age for any philosophical position to be taken seriously. One would have to be narrowminded to embrace any wisdom whatsoever. Philosophy as love of wisdom or even as a way of life is a thing of the past for keeps, as I see it.

[doowoop]

John Robert Fowles "The Collector"

[Theunderground]

Agree 100% with you cafollini. Potmodernism AKA the misunderstanding of Nietzsche,has a lot to answer for. Philosophy should be a stimulant to life. In fact,when we need philosophy we have already strayed from our best instincts!

[Leobloom]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Camus yet. L'Etranger (The Outsider) is brilliant, short and famous, it's the first of his that you should read. It is basically a novel demonstrating the absurdity and futility of life, establishing Camus' Existential philosophical beliefs. It is a brilliant book and will, hopefully, make you want to read his other books.
His key philosophy books are The Myth of Sisyphus (in which he describes the existential truth and our options once it is recognised) and The Rebel. His key philosophical novels are: The Outsider (L'Etranger), The Plague (La Peste) and The Fall (La Chute). All are outstanding and highly recommended.