The linguistic singularity of postmodernism Russian and British literary works (the case of the novels by Julian Barnes “The Sense of an Ending” and Viktor Pelevin “Generation “P”) Cover Image

Языковое своеобразие российских и британских произведений постмодернизма (на примере романов Джулиана Барнса Предчувствие конца и Виктора Пелевина Generation “П”)
The linguistic singularity of postmodernism Russian and British literary works (the case of the novels by Julian Barnes “The Sense of an Ending” and Viktor Pelevin “Generation “P”)

Author(s): Аnna Kirpicznikowa
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Russian Literature, British Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku
Keywords: Postmodernism; Julian Barnes; French literature; intertextuality; biography; autobiography; Viktor Pelevin; language game; intertextuality

Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to the linguistic singularity of the novels The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes and Generation “P” by Viktor Pelevin. It deals with some linguistic means, which allow us to characterize these novels as a bright examples of postmodernism. Firstly, the idea about the impossibility of new style invention and the necessity of different styles combination. The novels is full of different jargon words, idioms and even scientific terms which are used all together creating unique style. It is important that in postmodernism literature good or bad words or styles do not exist; they are all equal. Secondly, the idea of game. There are two levels of representing this idea: the mix of styles and the loss of figurativeness by phraseological units. Moreover, the novels are full of references to other stories and poems and in this case, we can speak about “rewriting” as a common method of postmodernism. Postmodern writers create new work through the stealing of images and texts from an earlier period and appropriated in a present context, say scientists.

  • Issue Year: 2019
  • Issue No: 19
  • Page Range: 89-99
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Russian