Adornos Aesthetics as a Literary Theory of Art

This book re-examines Adornos aesthetics, developing a new literary approach that aims to unveil hidden elements of Adornos thought. Farina proposes to read Adornos aesthetics as a literary theory of art, showing its efficacy in its comprehension of the most advanced trends of contemporary literature. As a result, this book provides an image of Adornos aesthetics as a complete, satisfying and consistent philosophy of literature, a robust theory which is able to stand its ground in contemporary aesthetic debate. Challenging the prevalent prejudice that defines Adornos thought, and especially his aesthetics, as modernist, Farina argues that Adornos philosophy of literature shows its value precisely in its application to and comprehension of postmodern literature, such as the works of Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo and David Foster Wallace. Precise and compelling, this book provides a new paradigm for understanding Adornos theory of artwork, serving as an essential reference for researches investigating the relation between classical critical theory and contemporary art.