Thomas Pynchon

[Bonnie Surfus (ENG)]

I couldn't agree more with John.  In fact, the recent criticism of 
Altman's Pret a Porter reminds me of VINELAND criticism.  I believe, 
beyond what John says, that the "flatness" of VINELAND is part of 
Pynchon's "message" (I hate to use that term, but there it is.)  Language 
has continued to deteriorate since V., when Pynchon's work began to show 
evidence of the destruction of the poetic faculty, at the hands of They 
who feel themselves fit to rule.

On Thu, 5 Jan 1995, JOHN M. KRAFFT wrote:

> X-News: miavx1 rec.arts.books:111012
> From: davide at obalona.rr.rapid.kla (David Emery)
> Subject:Re: Thomas Pynchon
> Date: 4 Jan 1995 19:25:29 GMT
> Message-ID:<3eesn9$opb at kla.com>
> 
> In article 1 at minnie.imd.nrc.ca, parsons at minnie.imd.nrc.ca () writes:
> > 	I am interested in Thomas Pynchon but haven't seen an appropriate 
> > place to ask questions.
> > 	Does anyone have any idea where he is, what he is doing, why he is 
> > so reclusive, why the last novel was such a come down fron Gravity's Rainbow?
> > 	Open a discussion here?
> 
> 
> With the kind of interest TP arouses in people, and the way the media
> intrudes on celebrities, who can blame him for hiding out? Not everybody
> wants to be in the public eye, but he probably has other reasons of his
> own as well. Sometimes I wonder if Zoyd and TP are one and the same. 
> 
And as I suggest, on the heels of Paul (or was it Brian?), Zoyd is Roky 
Erickson  (I've just sent the article to Rolling Stone, who expressed an 
interest--so pray, cross your fingers, think good thoughts, etc. etc. etc)

> Despite its apparent deficiencies as a Pynchon novel, I think all this
> talking down about Vineland is really a drag. By the kind of standards 
> we apply to other postmodern American writers, Vineland was a really good 
> book with many provocative themes and personalities, arriving at a time
> when many middle-aged Americans needed to take a look backward rather 
> than at their future investments. 
Yes, a very fine postmodern novel, even a deterministic postmodern novel 
that, in its dullness(?) does more work than many others, especially many 
cyberpunk, sci-fi atrocities that are so densely packed with "stuff" in 
their feeble attempts to "appear" postmodern.

For taking on the difficult themes of 
> American cultural diversity, neo-Nazism, the lost generations, and pastoral 
> revival, Pynchon should be regarded as a literary hero, rather than a fading
> has-been. Why should Vineland be viewed as any worse than Crying of Lot 49 
> or V? 

Here, I disagree.  V. is a brilliant novel.  Sorry for the lack of 
conjectural space.  It is a brilliant novel.  


I thought it was better, 
especially compared 
to V, which was a mess, > brilliant as it may have seemed at the time.
> -- 
> Forwarded-By:
> 
> John M. Krafft, English                 | Miami University--Hamilton
> Voice:   513-863-8833, ext. 342         | 1601 Peck Boulevard
> Fax:     513-863-1655                   | Hamilton, OH  45011-3399
> E-mail:  jmkrafft at miavx2.ham.muohio.edu
>          jmkrafft at miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
> 
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