/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.20567481]

My friend and I are debating what a hypothetical "Study of the Labyrinth in Literature" course would look like in its curriculum. Here's what we have so far:
>the og myth of the labyrinth, study of the characters (Theseus, Minotaur, Minos and Pasiphae, Daedalus and Icarus)
>The Idea of the Labyrinth by Penelope Reed Doob: what the symbol came to represent
>Ficciones, Borges: the first expression of the labyrinth in literature
>Pale Fire by Nabokov, If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Calvino: higher expressions of the labyrinth
>The Name of the Rose by Eco, 2666 by Bolano: narrative variations on the labyrinth
>House of Leaves: the highest expression of the labyrinth in fiction

Does anyone have something they'd add to this or change? Personally I'm not sure if 2666 fits but he's insistent. By contrast he doesn't think Calvino is very labyrinthine but I think it's an important precursor to the others.

[Anonymous No.20567491]

>>20567481
bump

[Anonymous No.20567523]

>>20567481
Gravity's Rainbow (Labyrinths aplenty, literally, figuratively)
Ulysses (Dedalus duh)

House of Leaves isn't literature. I get that it fits, part of the plot is a labyrinth, but the rest is gimmicks. Highest expression of the labyrinth in fiction? Where did that come from lol.

The Name of the Rose is a stretch. More a mystery and the maze is lame (good book though).

2666 def not. Not sure where this idea comes from? Your friend is a goofball.

The Calvino book, you're correct, and it's perfect without being obvious.

>Borges: the first expression of the labyrinth in literature
huh? Read some Tristram Shandy.

[Anonymous No.20567569]

>>20567523
Perhaps HoL should refer to the labyrinth in metafiction. I see it as an expansion of Nabokov and Calvino's works, whether or not it is better or worse I can't say.

I forgot to add that I also think Book of the New Sun might have a place here.

[Anonymous No.20567570]

>>20567481
>>20567523

Clearly haven't read 2666

[Anonymous No.20567590]

>>20567481
This is an interesting idea, but the curriculum is all over the place, you'd benefit from having an existing idea of what makes a book labyrinthine

[Anonymous No.20567613]

>>20567569
It's a simulation of metafiction. It's not actually. The story has its plug pulled midway, disqualifying it from being even at least good. It's not Nabokovian and it's not related to Calvino, not in its DNA or expression.

>>20567570
If this isn't lazy bait, please, do explain =)

[Anonymous No.20567621]

Piranesi maybe

[Anonymous No.20567627]

>>20567590
Labyrinths
A Daedalus
A Theseus
An Ariadne
A Minotaur

Some assortment of these. And no, HoL is just overblown pulp.

[Anonymous No.20567643]

>>20567613

Depends how you define labyrinthine literature. If OP literally just means "fiction that depicts a labyrinth," then yeah, 2666 doesn't fit. But if OP wants books that are labyrinthine in a broader sense, I think 2666 could fit — it's not immediately apparent how the different plots relate to each other, there's lots of approximately literal dead ends in the book, there's a vaguely looming evil and figures trying to navigate the city, etc.

[Anonymous No.20567644]

>>20567627
Doesn't that kind of reduce it to the narrative form? Most of the stories in Ficciones don't have any or all of those elements and they are certainly the most labyrinthine aside from the original story

[Anonymous No.20567733]

>>20567644
>Doesn't that kind of reduce it to the narrative form?
why would that reduce it? there are plenty of ways to represent those elements

[Anonymous No.20567884]

>>20567523
'isn't literature' as in it actually doesn't fit the definition of literature or 'isn't literature' as in 'i'm jerking myself off because i don't like it'

[Anonymous No.20567930]

>>20567884
It doesn't fit the definition of literature.

The class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, or history, in distinction from scientific treatises and works which contain positive knowledge; belles-lettres.

HoL is distinguished by its design... design crammed with Lorem Ipsum. Too bad desu, it could have been crammed with literature.

[Anonymous No.20569459]

>>20567481
Piranesi

[Anonymous No.20569602]

>>20567621
>>20569459
What would you recommend to start with / is most labyrinthine?

[Anonymous No.20569902]

>>20569602
Piranesi is the name of the book. It's named after an Italian artist who drew pictures of fantastical labyrinths

[Anonymous No.20569911]

Alice’s adventure is prototypically labyrinthine.

[Anonymous No.20571922]

>>20567481

My friend and I are debating what a hypothetical "Study of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich" course would look like in its curriculum. Here's what we have so far:
>the og sandwich (smushed grapes, crunched peanuts, saltine crackers)
>two slices of white bread, grape jelly, and creamy peanut butter: what the sandwich came to represent
>smuckers uncrustables: the first expression of the sandwich in the frozen food aisle
>rye or wheat bread, crunchy unsweetened peanut butter, raspberry or blackberry jam: higher expressions of the sandwich
>grilled cheese: narrative variations on the sandwich
>>pumpernickel bread, almond butter, and marmalade: the highest expression of the sandwich
>Does anyone have something they'd add to this or change? Personally I'm not sure if the grilled cheese fits but he's insistent. By contrast he doesn't think marmalade is very jellylike but I think it's an important twist on the others.

[Anonymous No.20573251]

>>20569902
Bruh..... a fantasy book written by a woman?..... I dunno......

[Anonymous No.20573261]

>>20569911
>prototypically
lol

[Anonymous No.20573265]

>>20571922
good post

[Anonymous No.20574059]

>>20567481
I weird suggestion I know, but:
"10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10"
https://10print.org/

The book is about the various version of random maze one-liners in different programming languages and retro computers. But it has a really excruciating detailed section about mazes and labyrinths, about the literature about labyrinths, the history, design etc.

And the already mentioned "House of Leaves" (which I'm currently reading) is pretty much all about labyrinths with similar meandering excursus about labyrinths in literature.

[Anonymous No.20574548]

is there anything else like Piranesi's Imaginary Prisons?

[Anonymous No.20575280]

>>20574548
The Republic by Plato

[Anonymous No.20575361]

>>20567481
I'd do a few movie days to give the students a break.

Perhaps playing the movie Labyrinth that has David Bowie in it. Also you can play the movie Prisoners with Jake Gyilliman in it.

My students love some movie days and it gives me time to grade papers or talk to my friends on Facebook. Good luck becoming a teacher it is a great career :)

[Anonymous No.20575825]

>>20575361
Curious where you're located and what your salary looks like? I'm in school to be an English teacher right now but everything I'm hearing from those in the field is really pessimistic and jaded, really refreshing to hear a positive perspective.

[Anonymous No.20576896]

>>20571922

kek

[Anonymous No.20576915]

>>20567481
Im pretty sure Jung wrote about Labyrinths, maybe read what he said

[Anonymous No.20576985]

>>20575825
I'm in NJ my salary is about $37K a year, so like $24K after taxes.

You could probably get a studio apartment in my area and have like $100 left over per month for fun activities after all expenses. You can just rely on the pension, no need to save really.

I'm 32 though and my husband is in investment banking so we spend every summer traveling to super luxurious places.

[Anonymous No.20577171]

>>20576985
>super luxurious places.
Israel?

[Anonymous No.20577491]

>>20577171
HAHAHAAHAH that's so funny and clever bro HAHAHAAHHA where you come up with this stuff!!!!!!!

[Anonymous No.20577794]

>>20576985
that's not a teacher's salary

>>20577171
lol they did say nj

>>20577491
lol at the response you could only have bothered to write if they hit the nail on the head

[Anonymous No.20578312]

>>20567481
I’m a house of leaves fan myself and while I love the book I feel like if you go into it with the mindset of it being the greatest thing ever you will be disappointed. But maybe I just got filtered and can’t understand why it is so good, in which case I would love to hear your opinion on it. Also I don’t really get if you are looking for books on the story of the Minotaur or just complicated “schizo” books. You can probably find plenty of the second on here.

As for book of the new sun I don’t think it is really that confusing.