Forgive us our transgressives--

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon November 10th, 2008, 5:27 am

Recently I've kept coming across what is obviously a new descriptive buzz word in book reviews, but what does it mean? Is it negative or positive? Does "transgressive" mean ground-breaking, beyond the pale or something else altogether? Any clues gratefully received

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Mon November 10th, 2008, 5:34 am

This is a new one on me! I'm guessing it describes something that violates a social norm of some kind or other. As you imply, it's undoubtedly related to the verb "transgress," as in the version of the Lord's Prayer that goes "forgive us our transgressions as we forgive those who transgress against us." It's kind of nice, I think, when reviewers come up with a new descriptive term, assuming it's apt. Didn't we have a thread on the old site about overused book review words we would like to be retired?

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Mon November 10th, 2008, 12:17 pm

I haven't come across that yet either. Do you have an example where it's used so we can see it in context?

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Mon November 10th, 2008, 2:17 pm

Hmm...

I found this definition at Answers.com:

Of or relating to a genre of fiction, filmmaking, or art characterized by graphic depictions of behavior that violates socially acceptable norms, often involving violence, drug use, and sexual deviancy.

Another site I found gave these examples as transgressive: Bataille, Acker, Burroughs, LeRoy, Himes, Baudelaire, Genet, Gaitskill, Mirbeau, Califia, DeSade, Bukowski, Hemphill, Lautreamont, Shirley, Selby, etc.

I wonder if this is another example of academic terminology being annexed by the trades and consumers. Sometimes academic/professional jargon elucidates and more precisely hones in on nuanced meaning; sometimes it seems to be appropriated by individuals just to make themselves sound more sophisticated. I guess with the new push to tag everything, we'll come across more and more of these specialized categories and usage of them in reviews.

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon November 10th, 2008, 6:02 pm

Well, I've found the answer. There is a whole literary genre which I didn't know about called Transgressional Fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgressional_fiction

It's <a genre of literature that focuses on characters who feel confined by the norms and expectations of society and who use unusual and/or illicit ways to break free of those confines.>
Some examples are listed in the Wiki article.

You learn something new everyday!

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Tue November 11th, 2008, 1:44 am

That's "tresspasses" in the Lord's Prayer. Shows you how long it's been since I went to church.

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue November 11th, 2008, 2:26 am

Well, we'll forgive you them anyway, Margaret

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Wed November 12th, 2008, 1:36 am

That's good to know. Especially since I misspelled "trespasses"!