I read a post by agent Nathan Bransford about a curious topic: the so-called ennui novel. Almost a year ago, actually. You know how some things stick in your head and cook for awhile, and then you can’t help it but take it out and eat it? Sort of like that yummy pork on a stick made in Puerto Rico (aaaah, si, si…. Muy bueno). Well, this concept of male ennui (Nathan calls it) has just put me over the edge. I wanted to investigate the concept.
Would you believe I found NOTHING that classified the term as an actual genre?
Oh, no, don’t get me wrong–I researched and found it clarified as a literary term. But not a genre.
I think Nathan had something going there, though. Mentioning a few fierce titles representing the idea behind male ennui (CATCHER ON THE RYE, FIGHT CLUB), you can’t go wrong calling it a genre. It is. We actually see it all over.
I would even call Robinson Crusoe a story of male ennui. This is, of course, before the rise of the robinsonade (see this post). At the heart of it, the male ennui novel was everything Robinson Crusoe was.
I think the issue with it being an actual genre is the simple fact that the male ennui is exactly that: about nothing. As Nathan said, “plotless”.
I could name a few other male ennui stories–such as DUMA KEY by Stephen King. The challenge of writing like this, though, is letting it stand as a genre without any sub- to it.
Let me back up, though; I’m sure you’re wondering what I mean by male ennui. Sorry. Unforgivable rant.
A story of a male ennui (and an even more interesting question is why we term it as ‘male’) presents a character, obviously male, who truly does believe the world sucks. This male character is bored with life. This male character sees no future in the horizon, no life down the road; he wants, needs, hopes, dreams, but to no avail. You might find this male character working a dead-end office space-cubicle-prison job, day in, day out, day-dead, never-living, always-dying. He hates life. He loathes it.
Then he buys a fast car after snapping in two. He’s had it. He wants to take a road trip to Malaysia and help feed the hungry gnats and warthogs with his lip crud. Because his lip crud has proteins that help them multiply five times faster, and then saves both species from utter extinction.
That’s just one example.
As Nathan also mentioned in his post, sometimes the male ennui novel involves a charming girl who enters into the disgustingly depraved and bored male’s life, rejuvenating him, enlightening him. Which we then have, probably, what is most appropriately called–a dramatic romantic comedy.
So there you have it: male ennui. My life could probably be cast as male ennui, too.
According to Nathan, the ‘genre’ seems to have gone through an uprise. Although he hasn’t mentioned much since then. Come to think of it, he hasn’t really posted query stats for awhile. So maybe it’s still true that many aspiring authors are pulling out ennui themes.
Let’s face it: they’re interesting. They’re interesting because they can be spun in so many different ways. Think of it as uncharted territory. It’s all wild, untamed. And it needs to be cultivated. Many of you have heard of FIGHT CLUB, right? What a spin on the concept of the bored, tired, pathetic, sick, sad, crazed, pissed-off male. The trick is to get a working plot going with this ‘bored’ character (who happens to be male).
Who knows: you might have a real winner of a story. Think about it.
I’ll go stare at the TV and feel the drool drip down my bottom lip now. The world sucks.
. (laughs maniacally)
