Re: RARA-AVIS: Jealousy

From: Mark R. Harris ( brokerharris@gmail.com)
Date: 21 Oct 2007


That other novel would be In the Labyrinth, which I read many years ago with great admiration. A poetic, brilliant, haunting book about "a soldier attempting to deliver a mysterious package in a vast, unnamed city" (in the words of an Amazon reviewer). What I recall particularly is the arresting use of literary abstraction to genuine emotional effect.

Mark Harris

On 10/21/07, Robert Elkin < rictusaporia@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Mike--
> Does your copy also include a second novel, having to do with a labyrinth?
>
> Also, RG's got a book on what he refers to as "The New Novel," which is
> kind of interesting, & if I remember right, might discuss his tactics in
> JEALOUSY [unless I'm thinking of the Barthes essay?]).
> Rob
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Michael Robison < miker_zspider@yahoo.com <miker_zspider%40yahoo.com>
> >
> To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com <rara-avis-l%40yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 3:31:36 PM
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: Jealousy
>
> Just finished this novel by Robbe-Grillet. It's a
>
> short book and not much happens, repeating a few
>
> scenes over and over again with small variations.
>
> It's difficult to interpret the continuous repeating
>
> of scenes as much more than artistic self-indulgence,
>
> but the scenes do carry a solid literary effect. It's
>
> definitely well into the dissolution of self that is
>
> so popular in postmodernism, and it's the most
>
> successful effort in that direction that I've read.
>
> It was written well before the postmodern movement
>
> began. That probably has something to do with it.
>
> The plot is related by a man on a banana plantation.
>
> He never speaks outright and never refers to himself
>
> in the first person. A woman who appears to be his
>
> wife appears to be having an affair with a neighbor.
>
> The narrative is objective, with little or no
>
> introspection offered on the narrator's part. Nuances
>
> of chosen details are needed to decipher his thoughts
>
> and feelings. Mood and scene and symbol interweave to
>
> produce a decent work.
>
> Recommended if you don't mind a little artsy-fartsy.
>
> There was an essay on the work by Roland Barthes
>
> included in the book. It was so off-target and bogus
>
> as to be just about worthless.
>
> miker
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>

-- 
Mark R. Harris
2122 W. Russet Court #8
Appleton WI 54914
(920) 470-9855
brokerharris@gmail.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 21 Oct 2007 EDT