Postmodernist Culture: An Introduction to Theories of the Contemporary

by Steven Connor

In this astute introduction to postmodernist debates, Steven Connor explores the postmodern condition across disciplines and genres as diverse as philosophy, political theory, architecture, art, photography, literature, drama, film, TV, popular culture, media and contemporary cultural politics.
Rather than simply arguing 'for' or 'against' postmodernism, Connor's book treats the postmodern debate as a self-reflexive phenomenon, whose nature and form themselves reflect the conditions of the postmodern.

As well as looking at the content of this debate about postmodernism Connor also considers the institutional conditions and intellectual regroupings which frame postmodern theory of different kinds. Connor provocatively argues that postmodern theory, although it proclaims a new openness and diversity in global culture, itself acts as a form of intellectual containment and limits such openness. He concludes with an analysis of the nature and effects of contemporary critical languages, and a consideration of the possibilities for a cultural-political ethics after postmodernism.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Cultural

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Steven Connor is Grace 2 Professor of English in the University of Cambridge, Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and Director of the Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH). Among his many books are explorations of aspects of the cultural history of the senses, including Dumbstruck: A Cultural History of Ventriloquism (2000), The Book of Skin (2004), and Beckett, Modernism and the Material Imagination (2014). His most recent books are Dream Machines (2017), The Madness of Knowledge: On Wisdom, Ignorance and Fantasies of Knowledge (2019), and Giving Way: Thoughts on Unappreciated Dispositions (2019).

Reviews

[Derek Frasure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Connor is a good literary critic, and there are real moments of brilliance in here. He nicely covers some area I've otherwise picked up no familiarity with like postmodern dance. Unfortunately, say 60-70% of this book is a summary of the books of others. Chapter headings like the second to last featuring the tantalizing "postmodern sublime" are often surprisingly thin on their namesake. Connor tries to illustrate everyone else's theories fall short in some way. It's a coin toss on whether I was convinced by them. Worst of all, this book includes significant meditations on the state of the humanities and university system that are laughably (I literally did laugh many times) out of date. My favorite was his triumphalist declaration of the power and bright future of English departments and how they aren't going anywhere.

[Annorah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel interessant boek maar beetje een brabbel af en toe. Denk dat je hier meer de tijd voor moet nemen wil je het voor de leuk lezen.

[Aysetecirli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very difficult book, but very instructiver if u manage to understand it. Turkce cevirisi de var. Yapikrediden cikmis galiba