Aggressive Fictions

Kathryn Hume

Description

A frequent complaint against contemporary American fiction is that too often it puts off readers in ways they find difficult to fathom. Books such as Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, Katherine Dunn's Geek Love, and Don DeLillo's Underworld seem determined to upset, disgust, or annoy their readers-or to disorient them by shunning traditional plot patterns and character development. Kathryn Hume calls such works "aggressive fiction." Why would authors risk alienating their readers-and why should readers persevere? Looking beyond the theory-based justifications that critics often provide for such fiction, Hume offers a commonsense guide for the average reader who wants to better understand and appreciate books that might otherwise seem difficult to enjoy.In her reliable and sympathetic guide, Hume considers roughly forty works of recent American fiction, including books by William Burroughs, Kathy Acker, Chuck Palahniuk, and Cormac McCarthy. Hume gathers "attacks" on the reader into categories based on narrative structure and content. Writers of some aggressive fictions may wish to frustrate easy interpretation or criticism. Others may try to induce certain responses in readers. Extreme content deployed as a tactic for distancing and alienating can actually produce a contradictory effect: for readers who learn to relax and go with the flow, the result may well be exhilaration rather than revulsion.

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 janvier 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801462870
• Langue: English

Extrait

Aggressive Fictions

Aggressive Fictions

Reading the Contemporary American Novel

Kathryn Hume

Cornell University Press Ithaca and London

Copyright © 2012 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2012 by Cornell University Press Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Hume, Kathryn, 1945–  Aggressive fictions : reading the contemporary American novel / Kathryn Hume.  p. cm.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 9780801450013 (cloth : alk. paper)  1. Aggressiveness in literature. 2. American fiction—20th century— History and criticism. 3. American fiction—21st century—History and criticism. 4. Aversion in literature. I. Title.  PS374.A38H86 2012  813'.5409—dc23 2011022561

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetablebased, lowVOC inks and acidfree papers that are recycled, totally chlorinefree, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www. cornellpress.cornell.edu.

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For Robert D. Hume

Preface Acknowledgments

Contents

Introduction: The AuthorReader Contract

1. Narrative Speed in Contemporary Fiction The Terrible Twos, The Terrible Threes, John’s Wife, Bombardiers, Oreo, Microserfs, Negrophobia, The Ticket That Exploded, My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist

2. Modalities of Complaint Portnoy’s Complaint, Don Quixote, Pussy, King of the Pirates, Mercy, The Color Purple, Donald Duk, Doctor Rat, My Year of Meats

3. Conjugations of the Grotesque Geek Love, Invisible Monsters, The Adventures of Lucky Pierre, Towing Jehovah, Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World, Bearheart: The Heirship Chronicles, Blood Meridian,and several speculative fictions

ix xv

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v i i i C o n t e n t s

4. Violence Dark Property, The Road, American Psycho, Hogg, Frisk, Try, Blood and Guts in High School

5. Attacking the Reader’s Ontological Assumptions Lying Awake, Fight Club, Ubik, House of Leaves, Against the Day

Conclusion: Why Read Aggressive Fictions?

Notes Bibliography Index

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Preface

Anyone who has read much serious American fiction published since around 1970 has surely struggled with novels that seem designednot to give readers pleasure. Not only do writers scream in your ear, but they do the mental equivalent of pissing on your shoes, holding a knife to your throat, or spouting nuclear physics at you as well. A surprising amount of the fic tion makes readers feel attacked or abused by an author who seems hostile. Why would authors write such aggressively offputting novels when all evi dence points to the fact that the reading public is increasingly enticed away by the visual media now available 24/ 7? Furthermore, why risk alienating middleclass readers, who constitute most of the bookbuying public? And what about us, the readers? Why do we read novels that make us feel so unwelcome? Are we conditioned by our predominant religious heritage to think that if something is unpleasant and accusatory, it must somehow be good for us? Or is it that we as readers enjoy rejecting that heritage and embracing what we are told is bad for us? In short, what are