Nira / Sussa

Abstract

Nira / Sussa references, directly or indirectly, a huge number of works, but its specific genre is probably best described as "literary transgressive fiction." It may also be described as a philosophical novel. It also belongs to the loose genre of postmodern writing, particularly to metanarratives. To a lesser extent, it may also be characterized as an academic novel or even a campus novel. This document addresses the relationship between Nira / Sussa and each of these genres. Along the way, it tries to explain how Nira / Sussa functions in several key respects, providing guidelines for how it should be read and appreciated. Finally, this document explores a couple additional, key questions--the novel's title and its protagonist's name--in light of the novel's literary context.