本文審視後現代主義作家面臨的困境—作家究竟應該因能實踐更高的文學理念而出類拔萃？還是應該因能迎合出版市場而揚名立萬？有別於僅僅兩個世紀前的作家，現今作家的文名主要植基於作品的銷售成績。英國作家朱利安．拔恩斯的作品和寫作生涯，貼切地反映出他在此困境中的掙扎。拔恩斯一方面以追求文學境界為念而創作了一些「嚴肅」作品；另一方面，拔恩斯的第二自我以卡瓦那為筆名寫了一些意在快速求現的「通俗」文學。雖然拔恩斯持續增加的作品證明了他對於調和純文學作家和通俗作家這兩種身分的自信，但純文學和通俗文學間的拉鋸在他的作品中一直隱然若現，二者間的差異比乍看之下更難以化解。

This paper is an examination of the postmodern writer’s dilemma: Should a writer be good by serving a higher literary purpose or by playing to the book market? Unlike those who have been writing merely two centuries ago, the literary reputation of writers today rest fundamentally on financial success. The career and the works of British writer Julian Barnes closely reflect his struggle with this dilemma. On the one hand, Barnes writes “serious” works in the sense that they are crafted with a “literary” purpose in mind. On the other hand, his pseudonymous alter-ego, Kavanagh writes “popular” works that are aimed at making some quick cash. Although Barnes’ growing oeuvre evidences an egotistical conciliation between the “serious” writer and the “popular” writer, they are never far from suggesting that the struggle is near the surface and the differences are more insurmountable than can be seen at first glance.