In these lectures, delivered at Harvard University in March 1983, the differences between Modernism and Postmodernism are discussed in semiotic terms, based on a contrastive analysis of semantic and syntactical (compositional) features. They present the major results of research into the literary conventions of Modernism (Gide, Larbaud, V. Woolf, du Perron, Th. Mann) and the innovations of Postmodernism (Borges, Fuentes, Barthelme, Calvino, Hermans). The investigation of innovation in literary history is based on a concept of literary evolution, launched by the Russian Formalists and elaborate LITERARY HISTORY, MODERNISM, AND POSTMODERNISM; Editorial page; Title page; Copyright page; Table of contents; Preface; I. Literary History from an International Point of View; II. Modernist Hypotheses: Literary Conventions in Gide, Larbaud, Thomas Mann, Ter Braak, and Du Perron; III. Postmodernist Impossibilities: Literary Conventions in Borges, Barthelme, Robbe-Grillet, Hermans, and others; Notes
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