Humbert, Lolita, Chrissie, Bianca?

[jm]

Someone wrote:

>Was this interview supposed to be about Pynchon or Jules Siegel? I got the
>impression that it was about the latter.

Aw come on!  Jules really has put up with a lot from us.  For one thing I
particularly liked his very sensible observations on depth of detail (real
or only apparent) in TRP's fiction, and the vanity (quite possibly) of
pursuing these often rather accidental writerly tropes and meanderings down
to their most basic roots.  What's the motivation for doing so (I ask), and
at what point of excess does it become simply a geek's game without any
further literary or aesthetic relevance?  I also enjoyed his survey of forms
of the "white goddess." And as for Chrissy winning the dance contest in
Manhattan Beach, a "White Goddess in hot flesh and teenage underwear," I
only wish that I had been there. How about the statement that "Bianca,
obviously, is based on Chrissie?"  There was speculation on this list during
the last year or so about Bianca's age.  Some p-listers even made her out to
be sixteen or so.  Because of this, and also because I never knew Chrissie,
I'd like to hear more from Jules about why the identification of Bianca with
Chrissie is (to him) so obvious.         -jm