Author, Author, o la celebración del ser y del autor (Parte II)

Abstract

In the last years David Lodge has been particularly concerned with the way in which both science and the humanities are challenging the traditional idea of the self as unique and autonomous: “If the self is a fiction, it may perhaps be the supreme fiction, the greatest achievement of human consciousness, the one that makes us human.” For Lodge the novel is the genre that best reflects the subjectivity of human experience, thus offering us the richest and most comprehensive record of human consciousness. His last novel, Author, Author, like the previous one, Thinks... is a clear apology of the autonomous, individual self, not only because its main character is a writer, Henry James, who always defended that the subject of the novel was the whole of human consciousness, but because it allows us to have access to his inner thoughts and feelings, precisely those that cannot be described by science.

En los últimos años David Lodge se ha interesado particularmente por el modo en que tanto la ciencia como las humanidades han cuestionado el concepto tradicional del ser humano como individuo único y autónomo: “If the self is a fiction, it may perhaps be the supreme fiction, the greatest achievement of human consciousness, the one that makes us human.” Para Lodge la novela es el género que mejor refleja la subjetividad de la experiencia humana, ofreciéndonos la más rica y extensa descripción de la consciencia humana. Su

última novela, Author, Author, como la anterior, Thinks... es una clara apología del ser indi- vidual y autónomo, no sólo porque su principal personaje sea un autor, Henry James, que

siempre defendió que el principal tema de la novela debía ser la totalidad de la consciencia humana, sino también porque nos permite tener acceso a sus pensamientos y sentimientos más íntimos, precisamente aquellos que no pueden ser descritos por la ciencia.