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/lit/ - Literature

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17219605 No.17219605 [Reply] [Original]

What's the point of tedium in long novels? (ie 2666, Moby Dick, Infinite Jest, Ulysses...)

Currently about half way through 2666. There's something about it that makes it very difficult to stop reading. Maybe it's the hypnotic quality associated with tedium? Even if that is the case, isn't that kind of... unhealthy?

>> No.17219788

UNHEALTHY NOVEL THREAD
2666 killed Bolano.
The combination of Infinite Jest and the Pale King killed Wallace.
Dead Souls killed Gogol.
The Castle killed Kafka.

Moby Dick, on the other hand, was a great life-extender for Melville, and should not be included on this list, even tangentially.

>> No.17219941

>>17219605
Ulysses is the opposite of tedium what are you talking about. It's insane how much shit he put in it. Tedium makes sense in classical music or something, not in literature.

>> No.17220368

>>17219788
The Man Without Qualities also qualifies, i guess?

>> No.17220387

>>17219605
Long novels require that the author's voice be highly enjoyable to the point where it doesn't even matter what the topic is. This is is the case with all of the authors you've listed.

>> No.17220470

>>17219605
The tedium in Infinite Jest is part of the point and it is not actually tedious, it just seems that way because it is surrounded by intrigue. Compelling things meant to distract you from what is important in the novel, just as in life you are assaulted with spectacle which distracts you from what is important.

The tedium in 2666 I think was mostly because he tried to rework it into 5 separate books.