Multimodality, in its most fundamental sense, is the coexistence of more than one semiotic mode within a given context. More generally, multimodality is an everyday reality. It is the experience of living; we experience everyday life in multimodal terms through sight, sound, movement. Even the simplest conversation entails languae, intonation, gesture and so forth.
What is Multimodal Printed Literature?
Multimodal novels are typified by their inclusion of graphic elements. Thus, they feature a synthesis of word and image, with word and image arranged on the page not is a distinct or separate fashion, but in such a way that they constantly interact in the production of narrative meaning. Additionally, such novels often exploit the tactile and material dimensions of the book itself.
Some of the formal features that consistently appear in multimodal novels are:
- The Inclusion of Images.
- Unusual textual layouts and page design.
- Varied typography.
- Use of colour in both type and imagistic content.
- Concrete realisation of text to create images, as in concrete poetry.
- Devices that draw attention to the text’s materiality, including metafictive writing.
- Footnotes and self-interrogative critical voices.
- Flip book sections.
- Mixing of genres, both in literary terms, such as horror, and in terms of visual effect, such as newspaper clippings and play dialogue.
An early, canonical example of what can be considered a multimodal novel is, of course, Laurence Sterne’s (1967 [1759-67]) much celebrated and sometimes berated The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.
In my own writing, I've explored works by Mark Z. Danielewski (House of Leaves):
Steve Tomasula (VAS: An Opera In Flatland):
Jonathan Safran Foer (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close):
and Graham Rawle (Woman's World):
The images above show the varied nature of multimodal printed novels. Indeed, one of the things that make mulitmodal literature as a genre so exciting is its diversity.
I'm always on the look-out for new books, so suggestions welcome!
7 comments:
Whilst Umberto Eco is a stranger neither to metafiction nor to semiotics, I'm not sure if The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana counts as multimodal, or if it's just an illustrated novel. I'm not sure of this mainly because, despite having read much other Eco, I haven't actually read this one, so I don't really know what I'm talking about! Maybe it's worth flicking through it though.
I might add that Abbot's original Flatland is a bit of a classic in my field - something of a must-read for wannabe topologists and geometers - so I should perhaps check out Tomasula's take on it.
Hi Simon, Thanks for leaving a comment! It's great to get a discourse going about multimodal books!
I have, in fact, read Eco's *The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana*. I read it way back - towards the start of my PhD - while I was hunting out any and all multimodal fiction (so forgive me if I'm vague). Ultimately, I didn't select it as one of the case studies since as you says, it's not *very* multimodal. (Illustration is a form of multimodality in literature though...)
I read an article recently by Wolfgang Hallet which has really helped to clarify my thinking on this. Hallet suggests that if the image is incorporated at what in narratology is called the "diegetic" level, in other words the level of the characters, it is part of the storyworld and thus makes the novel more multimodal than say illustration. This is exactly what is happening in *Queen Loana*: The images in the book are the ephemera found by the character and represent experiences in his world, etc.
In terms of *Flatland*. Yes, multimodal indeed. I actually read it while researching Tomasula's *VAS* (and watched the animated movie) - fascinating. I think you'd like *VAS*. It's very different from Abbot, of course, but there is still lots of science!
I'm going to mention the only author I ever talk about, good old Doug, and ask a question. He clearly uses some multimodal devices in his work - I don't think I can attach jpegs in the comments, but seen here: http://vi.to/nathan/TagCloudsSuck/microserfs4.png he plays around with words and fonts on the page, especially in relation to technology.
Would a character writing a book within a book, and then subsequently that 'book' being published alongside the book in which it was written count as multimodal? Or it is simply two examples of the same mode? I'm thinking of DC's book The Gum Thief, in which a character writes the novel Glove Pond. Both The Gum Thief and Glove Pond can be bought as a box set: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/4034187075_2f1c38e8ec.jpg
Douglas Coupland's works are certainly multimodal: Microserfs and JPod as you've pointed out Jonny.
I'm really intrigued by The Gum Thief and Glove Pond as a box set. I can't make head nor tail of the link you sent (it doesn't take me to the right page, I don't think) so I'm not sure if it's multimodal - it's certainly ontologically complex though.
I did find this YouTube video though (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw-fy39OmXI) which does look multimodal, though I'm suspicious that this is merely video animation and not a true representation of the book - any one know? I'm going to have to get hold of a copy though, I think! Just to find out!
Hi, I stumbled upon your blog and I’m so grateful. I’m planning to write about multimodal literature for my PhD and I was searching for sources.
The field is quite new from where I’m from so there's lack of resources.
I'll be a regular visitor here.
Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words.
Where is your PhD based. Do feel free to get in touch with me via my work email at De Montfort University. All best, Alison
Hi Alison and Anonymous - I am also glad that I found you.
I have just started to look at multimodal fiction for an MA by research project. I am having trouble formulating a research question to start, though. I'm interested in characterisation and thought 'The curious incident of the dog in the night-time' could be one of my case studies but do you have any suggestions that I could follow up?
Some of the fiction I have thought about has been Irvin Welsh's 'Filth' and Lovrick's 'Book of Human Skin'- what do you think?
Thanks
Julie
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