The Shaggy Dog Book: Exploring Unconventional Literary Narratives

In the vast landscape of literature, where readers often seek familiar plots and well-defined character arcs, certain novels daringly defy convention, offering a journey that prioritizes the experience over a predictable destination. These works, which we might aptly call “The Shaggy Dog Book,” challenge traditional storytelling by extending the narrative setup and subverting reader expectations, much like their comedic counterparts, the shaggy dog jokes. A prime example of this literary boldness is Nicholson Baker’s debut novel, The Mezzanine, a text that continues to inspire young writers by proving that in fiction, there are truly no rules when execution is masterful.

Baker’s 1988 novel serves as a compelling rebuttal to common writing advice that emphasizes plot, inciting incidents, and resolution. While such guidance isn’t inherently flawed, The Mezzanine reminds us that the boundaries of narrative are fluid and imaginative. This appreciation for the journey over the destination can also be found in classics like the [good night good dog story](https://dogcarestory.com/good-night-good-dog-story/), where the simple act of bedtime rituals creates a heartwarming experience without a dramatic climax.

The Mezzanine: A Masterclass in Mundane Observation

The “plot” of The Mezzanine, if one can call it that, is strikingly minimalist: an office worker needs new shoelaces, buys them during his lunch break, and returns to his office. The novel’s present action is even narrower, encompassing only the man’s brief walk across the lobby and his ascent on the escalator. The true narrative unfolds entirely within the character’s digressions, observations, musings, and memories during these fleeting minutes. Baker further subverts expectations by embracing metafictional artifice, integrating footnotes and lists into what appears to be a stream-of-consciousness narrative. This creates a humorous absurdity, as a novel’s worth of intricate thoughts occur within a minute or two of “real time.”

The brilliance of The Mezzanine lies in its focus on the most mundane topics imaginable—shoelaces, plastic straws, CVS lines—yet it is anything but boring. Baker’s prose is replete with delightful descriptions and incisive observations, such as “the brontosaural head of the stapler” or the sound of intestinal distress in a corporate bathroom. These details fulfill one of literature’s foundational goals: to make us see the familiar in a new light, a concept known as defamiliarization, championed by Viktor Shklovsky. The novel transforms everyday objects and experiences, revealing the richness and complexity hidden within the ordinary.

The cover of Nicholson Baker's novel, "The Mezzanine," showcasing a minimalist design.

Understanding the “Shaggy Dog” Narrative

The term “shaggy dog story” originates from a specific type of joke characterized by an exceedingly long and elaborate setup that postpones an expected punchline for as long as possible. The humor often lies not in the punchline itself—which might be a “groaner” or even entirely absent—but in the extended, meandering narrative. It’s the journey of the telling, the improvisational details, and the playful subversion of expectations that provide the pleasure. This narrative structure often relies on the listener’s patience and their engagement with the unfolding, often absurd, scenario.

A shaggy dog book applies this principle to the novel form. Readers approach a novel with inherent expectations of plot resolution, character development, and thematic clarity. A shaggy dog novel deliberately denies these conventions, stretching out the narrative without offering the anticipated conclusions. The pleasure for the reader comes from witnessing the author’s high-wire act—how long they can sustain this narrative tension and how they manage to extract profound meaning without relying on conventional plot or character arcs. This approach encourages readers to re-evaluate their notions of what makes a story compelling and meaningful.

Iconic Examples of Shaggy Dog Books

One of the foundational texts in the category of shaggy dog books is Franz Kafka’s The Castle. Kafka presents a straightforward premise: a man embarks on a quest to gain entry to a castle. However, the novel systematically denies the reader, and the protagonist, any expected resolution. The hero encounters increasingly bizarre and insurmountable obstacles, rendering his quest perpetually incomplete and progress elusive. The profound meaning of The Castle emerges directly from this relentless denial of its stated goal, exploring themes of bureaucracy, alienation, and the futility of striving.

An illustration showing a cartoonist's humorous interpretation of Franz Kafka's writing style, depicting its joke-like structure.

Following in Kafka’s footsteps, Dino Buzzati’s The Tartar Steppe (also known as The Stronghold) offers another powerful example. Here, a soldier spends decades waiting in a remote stronghold for an invading army that always seems on the verge of arrival but never truly materializes. The novel masterfully captures the essence of prolonged anticipation and the existential weight of a life spent in perpetual, unfulfilled waiting. Similarly, the [the greedy dog short story in english](https://dogcarestory.com/the-greedy-dog-short-story-in-english/) can be seen as a compact narrative that, while not a shaggy dog story, plays with the reader’s expectations of moral lessons.

The cover of Franz Kafka's influential novel, "The Castle," featuring a striking design.

Kobo Abe’s The Ruined Map is another excellent shaggy dog book, masquerading as a hardboiled noir pastiche. In this novel, a detective’s pursuit of truth leads him progressively further from it with each new clue. The mystery deepens and complicates rather than clarifies, embodying the shaggy dog principle of deferred resolution. These narratives highlight how the very denial of traditional plot satisfaction can become the central compelling force of the story.

Expanding the Definition: Oulipean and Experimental Shaggy Dog Books

The concept of a shaggy dog book extends beyond simply denying plot resolution. Many Oulipean novels, which adhere to self-imposed literary constraints, function similarly. Georges Perec’s A Void, a novel written entirely without the letter “e,” enthralls readers by showcasing the author’s ability to sustain this linguistic trick while still delivering an engaging narrative. The reader’s engagement comes from appreciating the sheer skill and creativity involved in such an undertaking.

Surrealist novels, like Leonora Carrington’s The Hearing Trumpet, also fit this mold by undermining our fundamental expectations of story and reality. Their unconventional structures and dreamlike logic create an experience where the narrative itself is a performance, a prolonged diversion from the ordinary. Moreover, novels employing unusual forms or styles, such as Lucy Ellman’s Ducks, Newburyport (largely a single, sprawling sentence), Alejandro Zambra’s Multiple Choice (structured as an SAT-style test), or Milorad Pavić’s Dictionary of the Khazars (presented as three contradictory encyclopedias), all engage readers in a “shaggy dog” fashion. The enjoyment stems from observing how the authors maintain artistic integrity and entertainment value despite, or perhaps because of, their self-imposed formal challenges. It’s akin to the intriguing narrative presented in [the greedy dog story in english](https://dogcarestory.com/the-greedy-dog-story-in-english/), where the simple act of a dog’s greed leads to unexpected, drawn-out consequences.

The cover of Dino Buzzati's "The Tartar Steppe," featuring a poignant image that reflects the novel's themes of waiting and longing.

Embracing Literary Gimmicks: Why Unconventionality Matters

Some readers might dismiss these novels as “pretentious” or “gimmicky,” arguing that authors are merely showing off their literary prowess. However, such a perspective overlooks the inherent value in pushing the boundaries of an art form. Authors who experiment with narrative structure and style are not simply performing; they are actively expanding the potential of fiction, discovering new ways to convey meaning, evoke emotion, and engage the reader’s intellect. The challenge for these authors is to not only maintain the reader’s attention throughout an extended setup but also to wring profound meaning from narratives that eschew traditional devices like plot and character arcs.

This pursuit of unconventionality is vital for the evolution of literature. By questioning established norms and experimenting with form, authors unlock fresh perspectives and create unique reading experiences that can be both deeply entertaining and thought-provoking. These shaggy dog books remind us that the pleasure of a story often lies in its telling, in the unexpected turns, and in the sheer artistry of its construction, rather than solely in its conclusion.

Conclusion

The shaggy dog book, with its elongated setup and deliberate subversion of narrative expectations, stands as a testament to the boundless creativity within literature. From Nicholson Baker’s microscopic observations in The Mezzanine to Kafka’s labyrinthine quests and the Oulipean games of Perec, these novels invite readers to embrace the journey of storytelling, appreciating the artistry in every digression and delayed resolution. They challenge us to find meaning not just in the destination, but in the unfolding process itself, proving that powerful narratives don’t always adhere to conventional rules. Explore these fascinating works and discover the unique pleasure of a literary experience that celebrates the art of the long, winding tale.

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