Book
Everything and less : the novel in the age of Amazon / Mark McGurl.
"In Everything and Less, acclaimed critic Mark McGurl discovers a dynamic scene of literary experimentation in an unlikely location: in the realms of self-publishing created by Amazon. Reclaiming several works of self-published fiction from the abyss of critical disregard, McGurl offers a Copernican revolution in the world of letters: rather than giving central importance to the critically lionized highbrows--Colson Whitehead, Don DeLillo, Elena Ferrante, and Amitav Ghosh, among others--he discovers that their fiction orbits countless unknown authors forging a career through untraditional means"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781839763854 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xix, 314 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
- Publisher: London : Verso, 2021.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Preface: Bezos as novelist -- Introduction: Retail therapy -- Fiction as a service -- What Is multinational literature? Amazon all over the world -- Generic love, or, The realism of romance -- Unspeakable conventionality : the perversity of the Kindle -- World-scaling : literary fiction in the genre system -- Surplus fiction : the undeath of the novel -- Afterword: Inside the box. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Amazon.com (Firm) > History. Electronic publishing. Self-publishing. Fiction > Publishing. Fiction > Authorship. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown Branch | 808.3 McGur | 31681010253771 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"In Everything and Less, acclaimed critic Mark McGurl discovers a dynamic scene of literary experimentation in an unlikely location: in the realms of self-publishing created by Amazon. Reclaiming several works of self-published fiction from the abyss of critical disregard, McGurl offers a Copernican revolution in the world of letters: rather than giving central importance to the critically lionized highbrows-Colson Whitehead, Don DeLillo, Elena Ferrante, and Amitav Ghosh, among others-he discovers that their fiction orbits countless unknown authors forging a career through untraditional means"-- - Random House, Inc.
National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
Best Book of Fall (Esquire) and a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 (Lit Hub)
What Has Happened to Fiction in the Age of Platform Capitalism?
Since it was first launched in 1994, Amazon has changed the world of literature. The âEverything Storeâ has not just transformed how we buy books; it has affected what we buy, and even what we read. In Everything and Less, acclaimed critic Mark McGurl explores this new world where writing is no longer categorized as high or lowbrow, literature or popular fiction.
Charting a course spanning from Henry James to E. L. James, McGurl shows that contemporary writing has less to do with writing per se than with the manner of its distribution. This consumerist logicâif you like this, you might also like ...âhas reorganized the fiction universe so that literary prize-winners sit alongside fantasy, romance, fan fiction, and the infinite list of hybrid genres and self-published works.
This is an innovation to be cautiously celebrated. Amazonâs platform is not just a retail juggernaut but an aesthetic experiment driven by an unseen algorithm rivaling in the depths of its effects any major cultural shift in history. Here all fiction is genre fiction, and the niches range from the categories of crime and science fiction to the more refined interests of Adult Baby Diaper Lover erotica.
Everything and Less is a hilarious and insightful map of both the commanding heights and sordid depths of fiction, past and present, that opens up an arresting conversation about why it is we read and write fiction in the first place.
