Postmodernism in literature

[castleteachings]

I have recently taken interest in the complex literary approach of postmodernism. Can anybody elucidate some key features of the genre?

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[AlysonofBathe]

Wow, that's a pretty broad topic!

Postmodernism, just like any school of literary theory really, isn't a universal approach; every theorist has a different take on the matter. Put simply, in the most general sense, postmodernism is a reaction to modernism (also hard to define), and lacks the unity and, for lack of a better word, neatness that often mark modernist texts.

This is expressed in a multitude of ways - disassociation, irony, pastiche, metanarratives, the intertext, problems of perspective, temporal problems, etc. There's really no specific key features; it's a multitude of possibilities.

My best advice: read some postmodern texts! The classic examples are often cited as Catch-22, Foucault's Pendulum, Generation X, and The Crying of Lot 49. But branch out!

[castleteachings]

Thanks Alyson, that's a great encapsulation! Have you ever read 'The Night Driver' or 'Checkov and Zulu'?

[AlysonofBathe]

Chekov and Zulu by Rushdie? I wouldn't really classify it as postmodern, well I guess there are definitely some postmodern elements, but if I had to label it I would probably favor post-colonial; the influence of Western culture (e.g. Trek) on Eastern countries as a sort of metaphor for England-India political relations, it's all very post-colonial.

[castleteachings]

Chekov and Zulu by Rushdie? I wouldn't really classify it as postmodern, well I guess there are definitely some postmodern elements, but if I had to label it I would probably favor post-colonial; the influence of Western culture (e.g. Trek) on Eastern countries as a sort of metaphor for England-India political relations, it's all very post-colonial.

I would beg to differ. I think it is a brilliant example of postmodernist literature, merely employing post-colonial themes.

[AlysonofBathe]

I think it's just a difference of semantics - Chekov and Zulu has elements of both.

[PMLondonderry]

I just want to point out that I started this topic about a month ago and we've had some good discussions about it in that thread:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67227