Funny Times

This book is much more to my liking as compared to the previous two books. It is funny, and to be honest, I think I enjoy and understand post-modernism much better. The two most prominent post-modern traits that I have noticed so far are that of playfulness and indeterminacy. The chronology sequence is a perfect example of indeterminacy. The reader is not sure which chronology scene to believe the most. Three examples are given, yet they are three completely different tones/viewpoints. One being from Flaubert himself and the other two being pessimistic and optimistic. I like this style because it gives the reader several outlets from which he can chose. He is more in charge of his opinion and thoughts about the book instead of being led around by, par say, Jane Eyre's thoughts. You get to decide what to think about the text instead of being guided.
Now for the second trait; playfulness. This is very present in Barnes's novel. His style is not romantic and not realistic, it's fun and humorous. It's a much lighter tone that enlivens the reader. One gets excited and actually laughs outloud due to the humor that is always there. It's a much more fun style to read and you can tell that Barnes himself is having a fun time. He is somewhat teasing the reader and seeing how far he can push the limit. Perhaps Barnes wishes to confuse the reader to a point where it is up to the reader to decide what is the best way to look at this book. As I said before, I like this style much more because it makes you feel like a much more independent reader. You make your own decisions and laugh whole-heartedly at the hilarity of the style.
Whether or not this book is a novel, I'm not completely sure. I feel that it is leaning much more towards a novel as compared to a biography. Once again, perhaps Barnes is trying to confuse the reader for fun. The fact that there have been three chronologies and multiple different viewpoints makes me think that it is a novel. Also the way it is written is much more in the form of a story rather than information about Flaubert.