We have been talking about postmodern literature in class. Here is a list of reminders of some of the elements we identified:
- rejection or subversion of modernist ideas
- subversion of expectations about literary genres or other reader expectations
- use of different genres in one work
- confusion of narrative timeline
- incorporation of information and ideas from different sources, real or imaginary (pastiche)
- juxtaposition of the serious and playful or comic
- self-reflexive, self-knowing literature (metafiction)
- blurring of lines between reality, history and fiction (hyperreality)
- written post WWII
Some good links for further reading:
Postmodernism
Postmodern Literature – links to a series of articles and essays
Some Attributes of Postmodern Literature
Postmodern Literature with activities from Open Learning UK
