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Word or phrase expressing [pretentiousness of intentional/efforted design]?


I am trying to find a word that expresses the pretentiousness of an obvious design, or maybe the feelings of disgust/disdain associated with such pretentiousness. Something like the feeling you might get from an affected art piece or performance. I feel like "pretentious" is probably the closest word, but I think it's vague/general enough term that further explanation is required to describe the sensation.


An example usage: "While Osamu's novel about the waning cultural influence of aristocratic families in in postwar Japan was generally well received by critics, the book's title The Setting Sun was often criticized for its [pretentiousness of intentional/efforted design]" Where "The Setting Sun" is an obvious, even gross metaphor for the book's theme.



Answer



You could use pompous as an adjective, or pompousness as a noun.



characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance



http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pompous?s=t


In your examples:



the book's title The Setting Sun was often criticized for its pompousness.



or



the office design was widely scorned because of its pompous design.



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