The Globe has a smart, fun look at David Shields' new book which seems to be picking up steam as the next in line of "the novel is too slow to keep pace with the culture" books that come about with increasing regularity.
"Reality Hunger is the title, but this time the prognosis, not to mention the remedy, is different. Shields isn’t pronouncing the demise of the conventional novel but a fate far worse than death – he’s saying the poor thing is irrelevant, simply inapplicable to the way we live now."
How do we live now exactly?
Bombarded by stimuli, always connected and yet largely able choose the "reality" we'd most like to engage with on a superficial level, it becomes an easier thing to disengage from the communal processes that I think led to at least a shot at empathy in our lives.
I find the boring old "linear plot and defined characters" kind of refreshing; more so now than ever.
It washes away all the "reality" that elbows its way into my day.
David
"Reality Hunger is the title, but this time the prognosis, not to mention the remedy, is different. Shields isn’t pronouncing the demise of the conventional novel but a fate far worse than death – he’s saying the poor thing is irrelevant, simply inapplicable to the way we live now."
How do we live now exactly?
Bombarded by stimuli, always connected and yet largely able choose the "reality" we'd most like to engage with on a superficial level, it becomes an easier thing to disengage from the communal processes that I think led to at least a shot at empathy in our lives.
I find the boring old "linear plot and defined characters" kind of refreshing; more so now than ever.
It washes away all the "reality" that elbows its way into my day.
David
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