A Menippean Marvel: John Fowles’s Mantissa
Journal: Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi
Year: 2024

Menippean satire, emerging in the 3rd century BCE, is a fluid, digressive genre that defies conventional definitions. Its adaptability across historical periods makes each example unique, often marked by cynicism, parody, and carnivalization. Menippean works question absolute truths through irony, challenging cultural, philosophical, and literary norms without providing alternative solutions. John Fowles's Mantissa (1982) exemplifies Menippean satire, exploring themes of metafiction, creative pr