Plotlessness
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | "''[[À rebours]]'' can scarcely be called a novel, and [[Huysmans]], in fact, does not call it so. It does not reveal a history, it has [[plotlessness|no action]], but presents itself as a sort of portrayal or biography of a man whose habits, sympathies and antipathies, and ideas on all possible subjects, specially on [[the arts|art and literature]], are related to us in great detail. This man is called [[Des Esseintes]], and is the last [[scion]] of an ancient French ducal title."--''[[Degeneration (Nordau)|Degeneration]]'' (1892) by Max Nordau | ||
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| {{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
| - | '''Plotlessness''' refers to fiction lacking [[plot]]s. | + | '''Plotlessness''' refers to fiction lacking [[plot]]s. Plotlessness was uncommon before the 20th century, but in [[modernist literature]], [[plot]] was secondary to philosophical [[introspection]]. Taking this to the extreme, the [[anti-novel]] was an evolution of the mid twentieth century. |
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| == Plotless literature == | == Plotless literature == | ||
| ===18th century=== | ===18th century=== | ||
| *''[[Tristram Shandy]]'' (1759), Laurence Sterne | *''[[Tristram Shandy]]'' (1759), Laurence Sterne | ||
| + | *''[[A Journey Around My Room]]'' (1794) by Xavier de Maistre | ||
| + | |||
| ===19th century=== | ===19th century=== | ||
| - | *''[[Notes From the Underground]]'' (1881) by Flaubert | + | *''[[Notes from the Underground]]'' (1864) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky |
| *''[[Bouvard et Pécuchet ]]'' (1881) by Flaubert | *''[[Bouvard et Pécuchet ]]'' (1881) by Flaubert | ||
| - | *''[[A Rebours]]'' (1884) by Huysmans | + | *''[[À rebours ]]'' (1884) by Huysmans |
| *''[[Elbow-Room; A Novel Without a Plot]]'' (1876) is a novel by [[Charles Heber Clark]] | *''[[Elbow-Room; A Novel Without a Plot]]'' (1876) is a novel by [[Charles Heber Clark]] | ||
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| In [[modernist literature]], [[plot]] is secondary to philosophical [[introspection]], and the prose can be winding and hard to follow. Taking this to the [[extreme]], we come to the [[anti-novel]] of the mid twentieth century. | In [[modernist literature]], [[plot]] is secondary to philosophical [[introspection]], and the prose can be winding and hard to follow. Taking this to the [[extreme]], we come to the [[anti-novel]] of the mid twentieth century. | ||
| ====Examples==== | ====Examples==== | ||
| + | *''[[Naked Lunch]]'' by William Burroughs | ||
| *''[[In Search of Lost Time]]'' (1913 - 1927 ) by Proust | *''[[In Search of Lost Time]]'' (1913 - 1927 ) by Proust | ||
| *[[Raymond Carver]]’s short stories | *[[Raymond Carver]]’s short stories | ||
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| *[[Stream of consciousness]] | *[[Stream of consciousness]] | ||
| *[[Sketch story]] | *[[Sketch story]] | ||
| + | *[[Non-narrative film]] | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
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"À rebours can scarcely be called a novel, and Huysmans, in fact, does not call it so. It does not reveal a history, it has no action, but presents itself as a sort of portrayal or biography of a man whose habits, sympathies and antipathies, and ideas on all possible subjects, specially on art and literature, are related to us in great detail. This man is called Des Esseintes, and is the last scion of an ancient French ducal title."--Degeneration (1892) by Max Nordau |
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Plotlessness refers to fiction lacking plots. Plotlessness was uncommon before the 20th century, but in modernist literature, plot was secondary to philosophical introspection. Taking this to the extreme, the anti-novel was an evolution of the mid twentieth century.
Contents |
[edit]
Plotless literature
[edit]
18th century
- Tristram Shandy (1759), Laurence Sterne
- A Journey Around My Room (1794) by Xavier de Maistre
[edit]
19th century
- Notes from the Underground (1864) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Bouvard et Pécuchet (1881) by Flaubert
- À rebours (1884) by Huysmans
- Elbow-Room; A Novel Without a Plot (1876) is a novel by Charles Heber Clark
[edit]
20th century
In modernist literature, plot is secondary to philosophical introspection, and the prose can be winding and hard to follow. Taking this to the extreme, we come to the anti-novel of the mid twentieth century.
[edit]
Examples
- Naked Lunch by William Burroughs
- In Search of Lost Time (1913 - 1927 ) by Proust
- Raymond Carver’s short stories
- Nicholson Baker's novels
[edit]
Plot-driven literature
[edit]
See also
- Boredom
- Digression
- Narratology
- Psychological novel
- Stream of consciousness
- Sketch story
- Non-narrative film
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Plotlessness" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
