New Perspectives on Auction No. 49

Author: Owen O'Donnell
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The49 is generally considered a significant modern literary work, reflecting the exploration of life's meaning and the pursuit of knowledge against the political backdrop of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. The essays included in this book are all original, with the introduction written by Patrick O'Donnell, who discusses the background of this important work by Thomas Pynchon and the critical reception of the novel. The other essays are written by five modern literature scholars, examining the "Empire of Signs" or the organization of symbols in the novel, comparing Pynchon with the influential South American writer Borges, exploring the metaphors and narrative strategies in the novel, and the significance of the novel against the backdrop of American Puritan culture and the movement of withdrawal. Overall, these essays examine the literary, historical, and scientific contexts of The49.