Reality Indigestion

David Shields wrote a book, Reality Hunger, about the death of the novel. It's composed of 618 pseudo-Nietzschean sections, ranging in length from three pages to three words. The sections are organized roughly by themes (A-Z), and are intended to create an overarching argument about the necessity to free words from ownership, and diffuse the dichotomy between fiction and nonfiction. Here's a review. Oh, and another. Oh, and here's a third:

1

You include sections which comment that novels take too long to get to the point. So you provide us with 200+ pages of (mostly other people's) commentary. Metaphor? Perhaps. But you could say it all in a page.

2

To read the book as it was intended, you say, cut out the legally-necessary appendix of sources. Why not the page with the copyright, which gives ownership to you (and only you)?

3

Section 238 of the book: "The contemporary vogue of not tucking in your shirttail (which I dutifully follow): a purposeful confusion of the realms." Citing fashion to critique literature is not the most valid argument, especially not when you're arguing for the sartorial mullet.

4

Richard Hugo said best what you seem to be chasing around in circles: "You owe reality nothing and the truth about your feelings everything."

5

Your book implies that the strong presence of reality TV serves as proof that literature should take the same path. Have you watched reality TV? (If an entire nation jumps off the bridge of intelligence...)

6

A collection of other people's words does not constitute an argument, but a series of declarations: "This man is innocent." Why? "This man is a good man." (That's nice--watch him go to jail.)

7

Your book states repeatedly that novels do not interest [you].
American Idol does not interest me; I watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

8

My favorite parts of this book are the ones you did not write.

9

This book has provided me with a wonderful index of authors and quotations which, because I did not perform your recommended appendectomy, I can now seek out more fully.

This picture is also a metaphor. Guess which car represents you.