A Postmodernist's Murder

Author: Arthur A. (USA), translated by Hong Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: This is a strange work—half a chaotic novel, half a collection of philosophical musings. The main plot is as follows: A U.S. California university professor known as the "father of postmodernism," Etol Grooch, is murdered in his own restaurant by four different methods simultaneously. Those present include his wife, fellow expert and writer, female graduate students, and female visiting scholars, who are helping the professor prepare for a postmodernism academic conference. When Detective Hunter investigates, he gets entangled in the verbal labyrinth of these postmodernists. In the end, the detective's conclusion is also "postmodern"—nobody killed him. In reality, what stands out more than the plot's narration is the postmodernist theoretical citations woven throughout the work and the philosophical insights of the characters. These philosophical discourses interweave with the plot, forming the core meaning of the entire work, transforming a murder case into a unique interpretation of postmodernist philosophy.