Contemporary fictions of attention : reading distraction in the twenty-first century / Alice Bennett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bennett, Alice, 1982- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fiction--21st century--History and criticism.

Fiction.

American fiction--21st century--History and criticism.

American fiction.

English fiction--21st century--History and criticism.

English fiction.

Distraction (Psychology).

Attention.

Books and reading--Psychological aspects.

Books and reading.

Literature and technology.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

212 pages ; 25 cm

Other Title:

Reading distraction in the twenty-first century

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.

Summary:

"With the supposed shortening of our collective attention spans, what future is there for long narrative fiction in the age of the internet? Contemporary Fictions of Attention maps out a shared interest in attention within 21st-century fiction and connects this interest to a series of debates surrounding ethics, work, the everyday, boredom and entertainment, as well as a broader context for the future of the book, fiction and reading itself in an increasingly digital culture. Alice Bennett examines work by writers including Joshua Cohen, Ben Lerner, Tom McCarthy, Ali Smith, Zadie Smith, and David Foster Wallace, and argues that they are all writing 'fictions of attention' ") -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Fictions of attention

"Focus, people!" (David Foster Wallace)

Present-mindedness (Joshua Cohen)

The distraction of both (Ali Smith)

Amputated attention (Tom McCarthy)

Beginning to mind (Zadie Smith)

Reading absorption (Ben Lerner).

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Bennett, Alice, 1982- Contemporary fictions of attention.

ISBN:

9781474282611

147428261X

OCLC:

1028584562