TRP's next book?

[Charles Corlett]

On Thu, 5 Oct 1995, John Boylan wrote:

>   TRP signed in '78 a book contract for 2 novels, one inspired by the
> Japanese-made Mothra monster flics, the other having something to do
> with the Mason-Dixon line. The Mothra material was folded (none too
> gracefully) into Vineland, the Mason-Dixon one has seen at least one
> deadline ('90) come and go.
>   A few years ago, 4 celebrated writers had decades-awaited novels in
> the works. After 30 yrs, Harold Brodkey came out with THE RUNAWAY SOUL--
> a big disappointment. This year, after 28 yrs, William Gass published
> THE TUNNEL, a minor disappointment -- 665 beautifully written pages,
> but doesn't quite gel as a novel.
>   Which leaves Guillermo Cabrere Infante, the Cuban expatriate, and
> Pynchon sitting out there with still unfinished "masterworks". Feeling
> the pressure, I wonder?
> 
> 
>                                                      --John Boylan
>  I imagine if he has any of the traditional writer jealousy and 
competitiveness he is.  Considering "Vineland," he must be a little 
worried.  It seems Pynchon's slightly older colleague, William Gaddis, 
did much better with his last book, "A Frolic of His Own."  Of course, it 
wasn't his masterpiece, but compared to "Vineland" well . . . "The 
Runaway Soul" was a huge disappointment, but Gass's book was a 
magnificient failure, I thought.