Hard-to-Google Lit. Crit. Queries...

[steepholm]

Is there a general term for novels (or other fictions) that contain/mention themselves? I mean, the novel is called The Book of Glum, and it's about someone who turns out to be writing or reading a book called The Book of Glum, or we're at least given to know that this is a world where The Book of Glum already exists?

Also, is there decent existing discussion (in journals or elsewhere) of this phenomenon?

Comments

[nightspore.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think so.

My interest is this: that it's vanishingly rare that a first person narrator can die (we assume she lives and are entitled to assume that), but not at all rare that you can have a concluding sentence such as this: "He made me promise I'd never tell a soul [the story just narrated], and that's a promise I intend to keep." Which may be true in the fictional world. So the ontology of the first person narrator is that if they're telling the story, they're alive in their world (or they couldn't tell it); but they're not necessarily telling it in their world. That's a strong convention, but not one that is necessary, so I am interested in the receptive psychology that makes it feel so strong, makes it seem so inviolable.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

That's a really good point. The obvious solution would be to say that the narrator is simply writing the story for their own benefit and not for anyone else to read, but that's not usually how it comes across. I don't have a solution, but if you're looking for a catchy name for this effect, how about "Midas's Barber Syndrome"?

There's also a negative image of this, for an example of which (simply because it's handy) I'll give you the opening to my 2006 book, The Lurkers:

I may not have much time to write this. The Gates of Memory are shutting all around the town. I’ve been trying not to think about it, trying not to draw attention to myself, but I have to face the facts. Today, while I still know what the facts are. In a few days I may pick up this notebook and not recognize a word I’ve written. The Lurkers can do that, you know. I’ve seen it happen.

And you?

You’ll think it’s just a story.

There's no end of fun to be had with this stuff.

[nightspore.livejournal.com]

Oh, neat. I still have Death of a Ghost, I am embarrassed to say, in the to-read pile. (At least I own it!)

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

My interest is this: that it's vanishingly rare that a first person narrator can die

I know of an example of it happening, and now that I think about it, the book's subtitle might be the name of a book she's writing. (It's been many years since I've read it, but it's something like that.) But I can't decide whether to name it here because it's (natch) the most enormous spoiler for the book…. Should I?

[nightspore.livejournal.com]

I would certainly like to know! But pm me (or email me at nightspore at gmail) to avoid exposing the secret to others....