Jeff Noon's "Vurt": A Critical Companion

This book explores Jeff Noon's debut novel, Vurt, discussing its complex relationship with literary canonization, genre, violence, Manchester, Orphic myth, collage, and fractal geometry. It argues that the novel is still relevant in the 21st century, advocating for artists to create open futures and rupturing control loops.

Format: Hardback
Length: 130 pages
Publication date: 02 August 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This book delves into the enigmatic debut novel of Jeff Noon, titled "Vurt" (1993). In this comprehensive first-book-length study, author Wenaus explores various aspects of the novel, including an extensive interview with Noon. Through his analysis, Wenaus examines how "Vurt" challenges the process of literary canonization, its constructivist relationship with genre, its violent and oneiric setting in Manchester, its utilization of the Orphic myth as an archetype for literary collage and musical remix, and how the structural paradoxes of chaos and fractal geometry inform the novel's content, form, and theme. Furthermore, Wenaus argues for the enduring relevance of "Vurt" in the 21st century, a time characterized by neuro-totalitarianism, psychopolitics, and digital surveillance. By breaking narrative habits and embracing the contingent and unpredictable, Noon initiates his project of rupturing feedback loops of control in "Vurt." This inventive, energetic, and heartbreaking novel serves as an optimistic and heartfelt call for artists to actively create open futures.

Weight: 331g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031070280
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022