From Book News, Inc.
Tiefensee (international communication, Simon Fraser U.) says that Kroetsch, considered the father of Canadian postmodernism, totally missed the point of Derrida's deconstructionism, and is using the same old Bloomian metaphysical presuppositions in his criticism, literary theory, and novels. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dianne Tiefensee contends that Kroetsch and his critics have, to some degree, misunderstood the implications of Derrida's "deconstruction" and adhere to a Bloomian "misreading" that is firmly grounded in traditional philosophy. She addresses the metaphysical presuppositions that govern Kroetsch's criticism, literary theory, and novels and considers the extent to which his theoretical pronouncements have determined his critics' readings of his work, concluding that Kroetsch reaffirms the very values, conventions, and attitudes he claims to resist. "The Old Dualities" is a corrective and thoughtful exploration of the critical discussion of Kroetsch's work and, by implication, the prevailing critical discourse in Canadian post-modernism.

FROM THE CRITICS

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