The Dictator's Dictation: The Politics of Novels and Novelists

229 Pages·2005·2.04 MB·English

by  Robert Boyers

THE DICTATOR’S DICTATION

T H E
D I C T A T O R ’ S

D I C T A T I O N
T HOAEF N PNDOO LNVI TOEILCVSES L I S T S
S
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B
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C O L U M B I A U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S N E W Y O R K
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
PUBLISHERS SINCE 1893
NEW YORK CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX
COPYRIGHT © 2005 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
BOYERS, ROBERT.
THE DICTATOR’S DICTATION : THE POLITICS OF NOVELS
AND NOVELISTS / ROBERT BOYERS.
P. CM.
INCLUDES BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES.
ISBN 0–231–13674–9 (CLOTH : ALK. PAPER) —
ISBN 0–231–51007–1 (ELECTRONIC)
1. FICTION–20TH CENTURY–HISTORY AND CRITICISM.
2. POLITICS AND LITERATURE—HISTORY—20TH CENTURY.
3. POLITICS IN LITERATURE. I. TITLE.
PN3503.B655 2005
809'.39358'0904—DC22 2005048475

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CONTE NTS
INTRODUCTION. THINKING ABOUT POLITICS AND THE NOVEL 1
1 THE INDIGENOUS BERSERK: PHILIP ROTH 9
2 IDENTITY AND DIFFIDENCE: SEAMUS DEANE 21
3 A GENEROUS MIND: NATALIA GINZBURG 29
4 CLEAR LIGHT AND SHADOW: ANITA DESAI 41
5 BULLETS OF MILK: JOHN UPDIKE 59
6 POLITICS AND POSTMODERNISM: MARIO VARGAS LLOSA 69
7 IN EXILE FROM EXILE: NORMAN MANEA 79
8 THE NORMALITY BLUES: PETER SCHNEIDER 91
9 DISCIPLINE AND PUNISH: FLEUR JAEGGY 107
10 PRIMACIES AND POLITICS: NADINE GORDIMER 117
11 THINKING ABOUT EVIL: KAFKA, NAIPAUL, COETZEE 131
12 PATHOS AND RESIGNATION: PAT BARKER 151
13 STIFLINGS: LÁSZLÓ KRASZNAHORKAI 169
14 THE DICTATOR’S DICTATION: AUGUSTO ROA BASTOS 179
15 MANY TYPES OF AMBIGUITY: INGEBORG BACHMANN 187
16 RUBBLE AND ICE: W. G. SEBALD 199
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 217

THE DICTATOR’S DICTATION