Book Quote by Roger Ebert
“Steve Coogan picks up enough to lecture an interviewer: This is a postmodern novel before there was any modernism to be post about. Later it's claimed that Tristram Shandy was No. 8 on the Observer's list of the greatest novels, which cheers everyone until they discover the list was chronological.”
About This Quote
Source Film Review: The Observer's List Discussion, 2023
The quote critiques how modern labels are retroactively applied to older works, and how rankings can be misleading when based on chronology.
In simple terms: Labels and rankings can distort true value.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about literary rankings.
Themes
literature
history
criticism
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- academic curricula
- media analysis
- personal reading choices
Key Concepts
postmodernism
canon formation
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we trust rankings?
- How does context change perception?
A Different Perspective
Chronology alone doesn't determine quality.
![“Gene [Siskel] often mentioned something François Truffaut once told him: the most beautiful sight in a movie theater is to walk down to the front, turn around, and look at the light from the screen reflected on the upturned faces of the members of the audience.” quote by Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2d8/roger-ebert-655_audience_gene-siskel-often-mentioned-something-fr_61356.jpg)
