Kermode/Cruelty

[Chris Stolz]

I agree with whoever wrote that in the two longer novels P.'s
narators have a fascination with cruelty.  This fascination,
however, does not take on fetishistic and purely voyeuristic
tendencies.  The South African scenes in _V._ are an elegant
commentary on the colonial/racist worldview, and in _GR_ thing
slike the Blicero and Pudding scenes have obvious thematic
implications.

I am onside with Kermode.  I think Pynchon's finest novel by a
long shot is indeed _The Crying of Lot 49_.  I think _GR_ turgid,
to long, overwritten and, for all its supposed complexity, really
quite simple at bottom.  The narrator, after all, lays his themes
out for the reader over and over and over, lest anybody miss
anything.  _CL49_ is elegant and allusive, topical without being
trendy, a marvel of linguistic compression and still capable
after many re-readings of exfoliating in my head into new and
wondrous shapes.  Unlike _GR_, which is vast and ultimately
static...



-- 
chris stolz		16 oakview pl. sw calgary ab canada t2v-3z9
cstolz at acs.ucalgary.ca	(403) 281-6794


	Digression One:  Ulrich recalled a similar experience dating
from his army days.  The squadron rides in double file, and "passing 
on orders" is the drill; each man in turn whispers the given order to
next man.  So if the order given up fron is "Sergeant Major move to 
the head of the column," it comes out the other end "Eight troopers
to be shot at once," or something like that.  And this is just how 
world history is made.

			Robert Musil, _The Man Without Qualities_