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snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up this book because I've a module on postmodernist literature and I find postmodernism in itself fascinating. What I didn't expect is an incredibly dense collection of essays that 1/4 bored me to tears, 3/4 gave me a migraine while trying to decipher the text even with my understanding of the other theories, concepts, etc. referred here. Even so, it can be said that Jameson's arguments and ideas are interesting and compelling (it certainly does give one a solid perspective to look at postmodernism!) but the amount of time, patience and the constant rereading made it less enjoyable for me.
dubiousdeeds's review against another edition
4.0
Two heads-up warnings to people reading this:
1) this is at least 50% essays which were released elsewhere before and thus not always coherent
2) Jameson quotes a lot (Althusser, Adorno and Horkheimer, Kant, Williams, Sartre, Marx, Hegel, Heidegger, Gramsci, Laclau and Moffe, Benjamin, Lacan, Derrida, Barthes, Deleuze and Guattari, Foucault etc.) and often only touches on what he refers to which occasionally leaves the reader that isn't familiar with the lot of philosophy since the 18th century with the refreshing feeling of swimming in open water.
That being said, when this book is good (like in the Culture, Economics, Film chapters and the conclusion) it is really good, evolves some great ideas about culture and thinking and constantly proposes ideas which will stay with the reader.
1) this is at least 50% essays which were released elsewhere before and thus not always coherent
2) Jameson quotes a lot (Althusser, Adorno and Horkheimer, Kant, Williams, Sartre, Marx, Hegel, Heidegger, Gramsci, Laclau and Moffe, Benjamin, Lacan, Derrida, Barthes, Deleuze and Guattari, Foucault etc.) and often only touches on what he refers to which occasionally leaves the reader that isn't familiar with the lot of philosophy since the 18th century with the refreshing feeling of swimming in open water.
That being said, when this book is good (like in the Culture, Economics, Film chapters and the conclusion) it is really good, evolves some great ideas about culture and thinking and constantly proposes ideas which will stay with the reader.
noahregained's review against another edition
3.0
maybe I haven't read Adorno in a minute, but there are some really staggeringly unhelpful sentences in this joint. "The postmodern thus invites us to indulge a somber mockery of historicity in general, wherein the effort at self-consciousness with which our own situation somehow completes the act of historical understanding, repeats itself drearily as in the worst kind of dreams, and juxtaposes, to its own pertinent philosophical repudiation of the very concept of self-consciousness, a grotesque carnival of the latter's various replays."
I'm starting to think that you can sensibly pull any statement about anything from the maelstrom that gets called the "postmodernist debate."
I'm starting to think that you can sensibly pull any statement about anything from the maelstrom that gets called the "postmodernist debate."
mfreitas's review against another edition
2.0
If you're involved in the fields of literary, cultural, or media studies, you should read this book -- or at least the introduction and first few essays;however, be prepared for a slow and painful experience. Jameson's language is dense and his ideas are complex (to put it lightly). Before attempting to read this book you should have a basic understanding of Marxism and semiotics. I'm not saying this to sound like a hot-shot smarty pants. If someone hadn't explained these things to me first, I would have been hopelessly lost while reading this book instead of merely lost. Give yourself a lot of time to read this one, as I found it impossible to cope with more than small chunks of it in one sitting. (And I do mean small chunks; single chapters were a multi-day process for me.) And if your experience is anything like mine, you're going to be doing a lot of re-reading.
With that being said, this book is an important one. Jameson makes a compelling argument for the relationship between economics and culture and how it's at the root of the "anything goes" eclecticism that characterizes PoMo art and culture. (Not to mention the perpetual sense of disconnectedness and confusion most people tend to experience.) At the end of the day, if you're involved in any of the previously mentioned fields you should familiarize yourself with this book. Every other scholar and his brother reference it, so you may as well grab some excedrin and a bottle of whiskey and hunker down with it.
With that being said, this book is an important one. Jameson makes a compelling argument for the relationship between economics and culture and how it's at the root of the "anything goes" eclecticism that characterizes PoMo art and culture. (Not to mention the perpetual sense of disconnectedness and confusion most people tend to experience.) At the end of the day, if you're involved in any of the previously mentioned fields you should familiarize yourself with this book. Every other scholar and his brother reference it, so you may as well grab some excedrin and a bottle of whiskey and hunker down with it.
umflintlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Vince says, "Very interesting social and literary theory from one of UM-F's past visiting professors."
robpalindrome's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. Jameson is influential for a reason -- he has some really important thoughts on 'postmodernism' and contemporary society -- but the interesting nuggets of these essays are buried within mounds of awful subclauses, of subclauses, within further subclauses, and relentless 'academese'...
I don't mind if books of 'theory' are hard going, in fact this is often a necessity, but in this case this often appears entirely unnecessary (possibly intentionally so?). Much of this book reads as if it was been written to a tight deadline, without Jameson giving himself time to read his work aloud to himself in order to edit and refine. There is an art to a good essay; Jameson certainly has the ideas, but I would say he lacks the structure or style necessary to properly convey these thoughts to the reader.
Like other reviewers have suggested, use the index to find the passages relevant to your interests/research rather than reading this from cover to cover... I'd recommend sticking to the first few chapters and the conclusion.
I don't mind if books of 'theory' are hard going, in fact this is often a necessity, but in this case this often appears entirely unnecessary (possibly intentionally so?). Much of this book reads as if it was been written to a tight deadline, without Jameson giving himself time to read his work aloud to himself in order to edit and refine. There is an art to a good essay; Jameson certainly has the ideas, but I would say he lacks the structure or style necessary to properly convey these thoughts to the reader.
Like other reviewers have suggested, use the index to find the passages relevant to your interests/research rather than reading this from cover to cover... I'd recommend sticking to the first few chapters and the conclusion.
volbet's review against another edition
3.0
As poignant as Fredric can be, it's all obscured by a unnecessarily dense vocabulary and an almost endless barrage of references and cross-references.
The points made in this book are certainly well-reasoned and well-argued, but you really have to dig in order to get to those points.
The points made in this book are certainly well-reasoned and well-argued, but you really have to dig in order to get to those points.
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