
'the Nearest The General Run Get To Art Is Action: Sex Is Their Form Of Art: The Battle For Existence Is Their Picture.' Tarr Tells The Blackly Comic Story Of The Lives And Loves Of Two Artists, Played Out Against The Backdrop Of Paris Before The Start Of The First World War - The English Enfant Terrible Frederick Tarr, And The Middle-aged German Otto Kreisler, A Failed Painter Who Finds Himself In A Widening Spiral Of Militaristic Self-destruction. When Both Become Interested In The Same Two Women - Bertha Lunken, A Conventional German, And Anastasya Vasek, The Ultra-modern International Devotee Of 'swagger Sex' - Wyndham Lewis Sets The Stage For A Scathing Satire Of National And Social Pretensions, The Fraught Relationship Between Men And Women, And The Incompatibilities Of Art And Life. In His Introduction And Notes Scott W. Klein Explores Lewis's Stylistic Experimentation Within The Context Of Avant-garde Movements In Painting, And Offers New Insights Into Tarr As A Work Of Mordent Wit And Enduringly Ferocious Irony. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
The narrative centers on the volatile collision between two contrasting artists, Frederick Tarr and Otto Kreisler, as they navigate the social and romantic landscape of pre-World War I Paris. The protagonist, Frederick Tarr, seeks to reconcile his artistic identity with the demands of conventional life, while his foil, the failed painter Otto Kreisler, descends into a pattern of self-destruction and nihilism. Their lives intersect through their pursuit of two distinct women, Bertha Lunken and Anastasya Vasek, forcing a confrontation between national archetypes and personal desires. The narrative employs a dense, experimental prose style that reflects the fractured nature of the early twentieth-century avant-garde.
Discussion often centers on the abrasive and uncompromising nature of Lewis's prose, which frequently challenges the reader's expectations of narrative flow. Readers frequently highlight the stark contrast between the intellectual posturing of the characters and their often pathetic or destructive actions. Critics often examine the work as a pivotal example of Vorticist literature, noting how the author's background in painting informs the visual precision of his descriptions. The text is widely recognized for its biting irony and its refusal to offer easy resolutions to the conflicts presented. Many readers find the work to be a demanding but rewarding exploration of the tensions inherent in the modernist condition.
Page Count:
384
Publication Date:
2010-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191612790
ISBN-13:
9780191612794
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!