Hello Gentle Reader
It must be human nature, to be continually obsessed with the end; that definitive finality. For the past few years, words like: ‘the end is near,’ ‘the rapture is upon us,’ and ‘apocalypse now,’ and other such slogans have been passed around the internet, through word of mouth; and could be seen in television and in film trends. The entertainment world is populated by bleak dystopian futures, or disease induced apocalyptic endings. Even the real world, has had these pessimistic idealizations creep into the thoughts of others. There was after all the two-thousand and twelve fiasco, where many people had predicted (and dare I be so audacious (?)) had hoped for the end of the world. Environmental disasters caused by our own neglect and maltreatment of the world around us. Then there was a small controversy in two-thousand and thirteen or later in two-thousand and twelve, where a pastor had predicted the end for all was upon us; once again though it ended with nothing more than a puff; and a giggle of embarrassment with the sighs of disappointment from others. Still two-thousand and fourteen has, had its own flares up of people crying that this is the end. The red moon; the abundant meteor showers; a Friday the thirteenth, with a full moon on the same night; solar flares, that could have wiped out the fragile fabricate of our modern technology dependant world. People continually go on, how we are overdue for an ice age; how we are all doomed to see another grand scale of extinction. Many prep for what they see or call the inevitable Doomsday. Others slough such an idea off, as being a wasted venture and investment. If the end of the world is to happen; as so many proclaim with such enjoyment and volatility; then it will happen. Personal thoughts included: the end (apocalypse, rapture, end of the world) will happen when it happens. It’ll come around when it comes around and that will be that. There is no need to wave picket signs, with slogans: “the end is upon us,” “the end is nigh,” “repent or burn in hell,” “the rapture is now!” there is no need for such frivolous proclamations. Drop the sign; let go of the bible. If the end is ‘nigh,’ than mankind needs only to walk, hand in hand to the inevitable extinction, which would therefore await all.
I find it rather unfortunate, that this mass paranoia and desire for the great curtain call, seems to slip its way into everything. It’s a tedious nuisance on its own; which only breeds simpleton thoughts and general paranoia that leads to existential malaise. In this case however, it’s more of an annoyance. There has always been that chatter between the bookshelves of a big box bookstore – which is: the novel is declining. The narrative art on a written page is on the decline some say. Though others have refined this to being more specific of what is declining in the literary world: literary narrative art is on the decline. The popular novels that are populated by sparkling vampires, boy wizards, dystopian futures, and sadomasochistic pornographic fantasy for the everyday mother, and housewife – are still in popular demand. Yet literary fiction? The novel of artistic integrity and literary merit? Well it is on the decline according to some. Will Self, wrote an article on “The Guardian,” on May second, declaring that the literary novel, and its height and dominance of culture and cultural prestige and intellectual authority, have waned over the years. According to Self, the literary novel will become a ‘specialized field.’ Though Will Self brings up many good points in his long article; the digital revolution of the information age; Self also fails to realize the possibilities this revolution leads for the novel, as well as its tenacious desire to live – literary or not.
I am a reader who enjoys the literary novel. The mass marketed books of romances, or romantic comedic novels, and adventure novels, and suspense and thrillers, as well as fantasy and science fiction, no longer engage me the way that literary novels do. When I was younger, I certainly enjoyed graphic and gory murder mysteries. I read Dan Browns Vatican novels, when I was in in my younger years as well, as that was the craze then. Yet after the discovery of more intellectual novels, and the larger world and its own offerings, in regards to literature – provincial and international concepts; I became far more interested in a novel that frustrated me and pushed my patience to the breaking point. Numerous times I’ve been forced to put a novel down, cross my legs, flare my nostrils for a few minutes, and walk away; only to be drawn back to the novel, re-read what I could not fathom or comprehend before, and finally understand it. This continual tease and frustration is what brings me back to a book of literary fiction. It never reveals itself in a straightforward manner. A literary novel is like a childhood friend who knows a secret and won’t tell you that secret. It angers you, frustrates you, and makes you want to learn the secret even more – no matter how mundane or trivial it is. Literary fiction as a whole is well crafted, secret keeper. It’s deeply written, and written with everything the writer has in them at the time. That being said literary fiction – even to the highest degree is not without its shortcomings. This kind of fiction is often convinced of its own self-importance, and this arrogance can show, and deters readers from reading the work any longer or daring to go into further realms of literary fiction. It’s often contrived that it is better, then other books – and it maybe better than other books; this pompous assurance once again is off putting to some readers. My favorite shortcoming of literary fiction is it can become very patronizing to a reader. It’s generally written by a writer who only wishes to write to show how clever they are. Their word play; an overuse of polysyllabic words, and often repeating themselves in the same sentence with words that share the same meaning, creating a sentence that is in the end a redundant waste of language and vowels. No reader wants to feel like they are being talked down to; or are being demeaned by a condescending writer, who metaphorically pats them on the head while saying with such a smug tone: “you gave it a good go. Maybe next time you’ll be able to get it.”
If the literary novel is to survive it is to recognize its shortcomings; and realize that it balances between intellectual growth and understanding; and its contrite self-importance and arrogance. Literary fiction will need to adapt to a world of shorter spans for reading and the attention required to reading often becomes limited as well. It’s a world where technology is taking over. Conversations are becoming increasingly difficult for some people to manage. Dinner no longer takes place at a dinner table; but rather with a ‘TV tray,’ and microwave convenience food. Playing outside appears to be abandoned, by many. That being said technology has helped many people out in many ways. The ability to stay connected is a godsend to many. The world is capable of moving at a fast paced, and changing that pace at a moment’s notice. Inevitably though, technology has engrossed on other areas as well. Music can be digital downloaded for free, at the rage at the poor sucker who paid the money to record the song in the first place. Who could forget the court battle with Napster and recording musicians, who protested the free trade of their own work? Now the same is happening to books, and literary works. With the rise of the kindle, ipad, kobo, nook – all of the e-readers now threaten writers, publishers, and independent booksellers. As the music industry would tell you though, it grotesquely survived; as it continuous to churn out young people with little talent, but the ‘appeal,’ into the world, and their eventual spoiled nature, in regard to money and the eventual law conflict with one another. Then if one were to learn from the music industries near meeting with the end; then the publishing world is in semi-good company.
Will Self predicts the end of the novel – the literary novel, with his article with “The Guardian.” Tim Parks from “The New York Review of Books,” offers a more positive outlook on the lasting impression of the literary novel. Parks immediately admits the reality: the current environment is not all that favorable to reading. However, as Parks notes immediately the literary novel will adapt to these changes. As Parks notes in his article the current world and environment is filled with distractions. By that ask yourself how many times you check your phone for a text you sent five minutes ago; how many times a day on average do you check your e-mails; how many times a day on average do you check your facebook? Now one needs to ask themselves how invested are they into the replies? Surely there must be some investment as one continually checks the phone, checks e-mail, or the newsfeed. It’s a world of disrupted attention; and a very small attention span, trying to multitask and focus on continual points of interest at once. At the same time, people today are inclined to interruption. We are prepared for it, and often seek it. In a sense, there must be something new and shiny out there for each of us to feast our eyes on in some way or another; as the current fixation has become dull and less lustrous.
Yet as Parks notes once again, long novels continuo to be written. Karl Ove Knausgaard for example continuous to be something of an amazement to many readers, who pick up his gigantic novel (in volumes) and read each translated volume, with eager delight and pleasure. Looking around people still pick up the bloated “lord of the rings,” and devour it as they had done in their adolescents. Just recently literary novels are picking up their own word count and page count. They are now towering in at seven hundred pages, or eight hundred pages. Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer prize winning novel “The Goldfinch,” is almost eight hundred pages long, and was shortlisted as well as suspected to win the, Baileys Women Prize for Fiction; and has been tipped off by many critics as being a contender for this year’s ‘open,’ Booker Prize. There again just look at last years Booker Prize winning novel: “The Luminaries,” by Eleanor Catton, is just over eight hundred pages long. Larger literary novels do exist; though they are not for me personally. Anyone who needs to write over five hundred pages (and even that is pushing it) has nothing wroth saying. Shorter novels of more intense work and language I often find, have a greater depth and appreciation for language; which brings me to the end of Parks article. Parks predicts the novel (of literary inclinations) will break itself up into shorter chapters and shorter sections and parks, to offer a quick pause and break for the readers, in a world that is surrounded with distraction. Whereas the larger novel or rather the more popular novel, will simply fall into more repetitious patterns, and more of a similar formula that it will be copied over and over again, following the same dynamic of an elementary school teacher, teaching their class the parts o a story: the beginning (introduction) the conflict (problem) rosining action, then declining action and the end (conclusion). Where the literary novel will continue to thrive in its complexities – self-important or not; contrived or not; the more popularized novel will fall into a pattern of a heart monitor continually rosining and falling, with occasional flat lining; as its pace and rhythm.
I do think that both Will Self and Tim Parks make very good points. However I always put ‘predictions,’ to the wind, and think of more serious matters. There is no doubt that the current environment is going to respect a writers idea to write a eighty page chapter, that moves at a snail’s pace. Yet it is very audacious to state that the literary novel is dead. Yes there are plenty of novels out there, that are surviving, and excelling. However, the world at large, the literary world, is far from over, and I do not think it will ever end – at least not so easily. I personally hope that Parks prediction is true. May literary writers, learn a lot from the short story, and stop writing phonebooks – not everyone has a book shelf made out of steel or iron; and not everyone has the time or patience to read that kind of book. At least I do not have the time to invest in that large of a novel. Personal tastes dictate smaller more explosive works, that showcase their capabilities with a mixture of telling and leaving some unsaid, only to be discovered later. That and the language can be utilized far more appropriately and can be more intense with hindrance to the actual book itself. In my opinion the novel; literary and not; is not necessarily endangered or on the verge of extinction. It will learn to thrive in this new world. As poetry would tell you from its crows net on top of its ivory tower, nothing dies without a fight. Demand declines, but surviving and reinventing as well as renewal never hurt, to approach a ever changing world.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
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