The Novel as a Performing Art
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The Novel as a Performing Art Alexey Aliyev 1 Received: 3 May 2020 / Accepted: 14 September 2020/ # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract The consensus is that the novel—along with painting, sculpture, and architecture— should be categorized as a non-performing art. In this essay, I argue that such categorization is misguided: In fact, there is good reason to categorize the novel as a performing art. I begin by showing that x is a performing art if the following conditions are satisfied: (a) x is an art and (b) to fully appreciate a work of x, it is necessary to experientially engage with a performance or a performance-like object. I then demonstrate that in the case of the novel, these conditions are actually satisfied. Keywords Philosophy of literature . The novel as a performing art . Definition of a
performing art . Definition of a performance
1 Introduction Is the novel a performing art? Prima facie, the answer is “No.” Presumably, the reason why an art is categorized as “performing” is that its works are to be appreciated through an experiential engagement with a performance or a performance-like object.1,2 Meanwhile, in the case of the novel, it seems reasonable to hold that a correct appreciation of its works—novels—is possible without such an engagement. Thus, to be able to correctly appreciate Pride and Prejudice, there seems no need to listen to a reading of it, or watch a theatrical reconstruction of the events it describes, or perceive any other performance or performance-like object appropriately related to it (whatever this object might be). All that appears to be required, experientially, in this case is a perception of whatever conveys the meaning of the text of this novel, regardless of 1 A performance-like object is, roughly, whatever (a) is not a performance but (b) manifests all the relevant properties manifested by a performance. For a detailed characterization of the notion of a performance-like object, see Section 3. 2
For a detailed account of the notion of a performing art, see Section 3.
* Alexey Aliyev [email protected]
1
National Research University Higher School of Economics, School of Philosophy and Cultural Studies, Moscow, Russia
Philosophia
whether it conveys this meaning through a performance/performance-like object or in some other way. My goal in this essay is to show that, despite its prima facie plausibility, the foregoing account is misguided: An experiential engagement with a performance or a performance-like object is necessary to correctly appreciate novels—and so the novel should be categorized as a performing art. I begin with a critical overview of Kivy (2006, 2010)’s argument in favor of treating the novel as a performing art (Section 2). Then I turn to an exposition of my own argument. I start by clarifying the concept of a performing art, arguing that x is a performing art if (a) x is an art and (b) to correctly appreciate a work of x, it is necessary to experientially engage with a performance or a performance-like object—namely, a playing of a recording
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