Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

4thTimeLucky · 05-03-2003, 02:16 AM

Has anyone here read Infinite Jest by David Wallace?

Its a postmodern doorstop of a book, and one of my proudest achievements in life is never having read it.
But I would love to hear from someone who has.

Oh, and good definition ART. Though modernism itself wasn't as stodgy as it may seem from that juxtaposition, which may more accurately describe the break between modernism and pre-modernism. Modernism moved on from the pre-modern (Victorian-ish) approach [which itself must have seemed fresh and new at the time] by blurring genres, playing around with narrative standpoints, breaking linearity and generally making art and literature less formal, rigid and rule based, as it was in the pre-modern era. So what's the difference then between modernism and postmodernism? Well one way would be that postmodernism continues these trends, making them seem even more extreme. However a more important one would be the attitude towards this new style. Modernism seemed to lament this new uncertainy, fragmentation and subjectivity. It did it because that was the way the world was and art shouldn't hide from it (by papering over it with disingenous, premodern rules). But Postmodernism embraces the fragmentation and the lack of meaning in the world.

That, at least, is my take on things.

05-03-2003, 02:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
4thTimeLucky Psycho Location: 4th has left the building - goodbye folks	Has anyone here read Infinite Jest by David Wallace? Its a postmodern doorstop of a book, and one of my proudest achievements in life is never having read it. But I would love to hear from someone who has. Oh, and good definition ART. Though modernism itself wasn't as stodgy as it may seem from that juxtaposition, which may more accurately describe the break between modernism and pre-modernism. Modernism moved on from the pre-modern (Victorian-ish) approach [which itself must have seemed fresh and new at the time] by blurring genres, playing around with narrative standpoints, breaking linearity and generally making art and literature less formal, rigid and rule based, as it was in the pre-modern era. So what's the difference then between modernism and postmodernism? Well one way would be that postmodernism continues these trends, making them seem even more extreme. However a more important one would be the attitude towards this new style. Modernism seemed to lament this new uncertainy, fragmentation and subjectivity. It did it because that was the way the world was and art shouldn't hide from it (by papering over it with disingenous, premodern rules). But Postmodernism embraces the fragmentation and the lack of meaning in the world. That, at least, is my take on things. __________________ I've been 4thTimeLucky, you've been great. Goodnight and God bless!