Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I think Faulkner is a marvelous example and an another one would be James Joyce. If you compare his two great books: Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake, I think that two different types of art appear; both very self aware but one more self-serving than the other. Ulysses is a brilliant work of allegory, language and history but the reader, unless he is one of people that appear in the book, better have good notes and a sound grasp of political and literary history to get the full meaning of the text*. In Finnegan's Wake nobody knows what the heck is going on and it will (and was solely written to) keep the critics and academia busy for the next 1000 years to no avail. I would group Eggleston in the Ulysses camp and I am not sure who to put in the FW camp but I am sure some one will volunteer a few worthies. I find the FW type work clever but mostly in an annoying sort of way. While the Ulysses type work is rich and layered; just delightful to learn about and even the smallest details, when understood, adding to the richness of the work. Modern literature has become more about rhythms, patterns and textures, every bit as confusing to the lay person as art photography. I do not understand that much but reading histories and criticism helps me to scratch the confusing veneer and see some of the richness underneath. John Collier *A good map of old Dublin would help too.