A Tale of Two Labels THE USE OF "MODERNISM" AND "AVANT-GARDE" IN THE RECEPTION OF TOM MCCARTHY'S c

This article presents the results of an innovative in-depth investigation of the reception of Tom McCarthy's novel C (2010), with the purpose of shedding more light on the use of labels associated with "Modernism" in the interpretation of contemporary British fiction. Focusing on the occurrence of the words "Modernism" and "avant-garde," it combines quantitative analysis and detailed reading in order to answer the question how the two labels are defined when they are used in reference to C. The article aims to make a contribution to the on-going "Metamodernism" debate and its discussion of new developments in art after the demise of Postmodernism. Its main conclusion is that reviewers tend to interpret the two labels historically, which may be a consequence of the novel's setting in time. The research proves how essential it is to study the reception of novels across different cultural realities.