Vineland

[Sean Klein]

> > From: Sean Klein <seandkle at sybase.com>
> > 
> > I think what I'm getting at, with the end of Vineland, is that the
> meeting betwen Prairie and her mother was anti-climactic whereas the
> presentation of other events in the book made me think that the meeting
> would be more dramatic (or climactic...)  Prairie is one of the few
> searchers in a TP novel that actually finds the subject of the search and
> all we get is "they talked for a few hours."  Imagine how this meeting
> would play on a Movie of the Week.  Now imagine how it would play on a
> Movie of the Week scripted by TP.  That's what I was expecting.  How come
> he didn't give us that?
> 
> I'm with you so far.  What do you think the answer is?  When does P create
> those climaxes, and when doesn't he?
> 
> Just wondering,
> 
> davemarc

I think I'm getting myself into hot water, and on my first day on pynchon-l too; oy vey!

Maybe I expected more from the end of Vineland because Vineland is TP's most conventional novel in the terms of structure, plot, etc.  Basically, Brock Vond shows up and disrupts Prairie's life.  She runs off, meets DL, and searches for her mother.  The entire middle of the book, the early 70's bit, is really Prairie watching 24fps films.  The story "ascends" to the point where everyone converges at the family reunion, which is the climax of the novel, pretty much ending with Brocks descent into hell (my interpretation) guided by the Thanatoid tow truck operators.  So how come in a more conventional novel we get such an anti-climactic climax.  (Am I watching too many John Woo movies?)  TP is capable of more drama and I sense there should have been more drama.  (See the opening of GR for example)  So why not here?