antinovel Definition
a novel that subverts or rejects the conventions of the traditional novel, often by ignoring the plot or character development and focusing instead on language, structure, and other literary devices.
Using antinovel: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "antinovel" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The author's experimental work was considered an antinovel because it lacked a traditional plot.
Example
The antinovel is a form of literature that challenges the reader's expectations and assumptions about what a novel should be.
Example
Some critics argue that the antinovel is a response to the limitations of traditional narrative forms.
Phrases with antinovel
a French literary movement of the 1950s and 1960s that rejected traditional narrative techniques and focused instead on language, structure, and other literary devices
Example
Alain Robbe-Grillet was a prominent figure in the nouveau roman movement, which emphasized the use of unconventional literary techniques.
a narrative technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur, without any attempt to organize them into a coherent whole
Example
James Joyce's Ulysses is a classic example of a novel that uses the stream of consciousness technique.
metafiction
fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, often by breaking the fourth wall and acknowledging the reader or the author
Example
Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler is an example of a metafictional work that plays with the conventions of storytelling.
Origins of antinovel
from anti- meaning 'against' + novel
Summary: antinovel in Brief
An 'antinovel' [an-tee-nov-uhl, an-tahy-] is a type of novel that subverts or rejects the conventions of traditional novels. Instead of following a traditional plot or character development, antinovels focus on language, structure, and other literary devices. Examples of related literary movements include the French nouveau roman, stream of consciousness, and metafiction.
