It's the wrong time to pose this question, but...

[Deng, Stephen]

I have a strong affection for Vineland, probably because it was my 
introduction to Pynchon.  It was partially due to Vineland and some other 
wonderful books like it that I rethought my career as a graduate student in 
Economics a few years ago.  I am happy to say that I am now a graduate 
student in English literature-how's that for a 180 degree turn?

I think Vineland had a profound impact on me partly because, having been 
born the same year as Prairie, it made me realize how much the Reagan 
presidency affected my political sensibility.  I felt just like Prairie did 
watching the films from the 60s which seem so surreal from the viewpoint of 
80s "reality."

Although I don't believe Vineland is his best (I think GR is still the 
best, primarily because of the sheer number of intense evocative passages), 
I have a personal bias toward it since it was both a political and literary 
epiphany for me.

Steve Deng

----------
From:  bdm at storz.com[SMTP:bdm at storz.com]
Sent:  Tuesday, April 29, 1997 1:56 PM
To:  pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject:  It's the wrong time to pose this question, but...

... it seems to me that there are champions of all three of Pynchon's
first three books on this list.  While I'd guess the over-riding opinion
is that GR was his masterpiece (not knowing what M&D will harbor) there
are those who like V more, and even a few who claim Lot 49 was his
finest effort.  It sounds like M&D may win some converts.
	Is there anyone here who is willing to step forward and argue
that Vineland was his peak effort to date?  Or even, just that they liked
it better, and can say why?  Or is it to remain his preterite effort?
	Surely, someone on this list, perhaps a lurker to this point,
favors it....

Brian McCary