Reviews for Readings from the new book on nature

The average rating for Readings from the new book on nature based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-04-13 00:00:00 Robert Cortez Simply stated, Strehle treats postmodern fiction in terms of quantum physics, saying that it presents an alternate fictional reality in the same way quantum physics alters the reality of Newtonian physics. The skewed realism of the novels she's concerned with here, such as those of Donald Barthelme, John Barth, and Thomas Pynchon, suggest the antireality quantum physics forces on the scientific world. She calls this fiction actualism. Even deeper, she says that within novels such as these Newtonian reality like the conventional or organizing forces within society often represent the wrong path while quantum reality, or the unconventional path, leads to redemption or grace. In this way, Catch-22 invites us to see Bomber Command as Newtonian bureaucracy and applaud Yossarian's finding redemption as a quantum hero. Donald Barthelme stands slightly to the side of all this. His work, especially, is best viewed through the lens of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Just as the scientist can't know the exact location and velocity of subatomic particles, Barthelme's characters are confused by the uncertainty and emptiness of modern culture. I was impressed with Strehle's deft ability to explain all this. I was in scientific water over my head but her clarity and careful moving from point to point kept me afloat. I read to gain additional understanding of these novels but found myself not too far away from my own ways of seeing them. Her gloss on J R by William Gaddis, I thought, was especially insightful. I found her treatment of it by far the most interesting, though I read primarily to plump up my grasp of the labyrinthine Gravity's Rainbow,last read 30+ years ago.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-08-19 00:00:00 Peter Cole actualism: both kinship with and difference from realism. informed by the new physics. to describe pynchon, coover, gaddis, barth, atwood, and barthelme.