Through the close examination of the exemplary postmodern texts and filmswe will seek to describe, define, and thus understand just exactly what makes up a "postmodern European novel".

Side by side with our close reading and class discussions of these texts and films, students will be asked to give and pay close attention to a series of short oral reports on the authors, techniques, forms, and critical stances that are associated with what Jean-François Lyotard has called "The Postmodern Condition".

We undertake these readings, discussions and presentations in order to build our familiarity with the methodological toolsand terminology of literary criticism so that you will be able to write credible literary criticism about the texts that we will study.