OK, good people. I'm giving a talk on political novels/art. So questions:
Do you think political novel in general are bad, and if so, why?
What makes a novel political and another not?
Can art and politics be separated, and if so, should they be?
Hit me!
Conversation
1. Usually, but not always. But then, so are most unpolitical novels. 2. It aims to instruct or convince, instead of, or along with, providing aesthetic pleasure. 3. Yes, they can. I often (but not always) prefer it when they are, but I wouldn't elevate that to a principle.
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Replying to
You know my old standby. I divide novels into good novels and bad novels, rarely anything else. What I find interesting is for most people, novels are considered political when they're bad. When they're good, no one thinks about it.
I’m with you, Rabih. Good and bad. And I am in the midst of your latest book which is not only good, but beautiful and terrifying.
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