Vineland

[davemarc]

> From: Sean Klein <seandkle at sybase.com>
>  
> 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?

I think it's typical of him to set up and dissemble certain types of
climaxes in this fashion.  In the spirit of Pesach, I ask:  what makes this
interpersonal non-climax different from many other interpersonal
non-climaxes in P's work? And, in the true spirit of Spring (pre-Eliot), I
also think this kind of pre-climactic withdrawal is very emblematic of
Pynchon.  Speaking of movies, it kinda reminds me of the last discussion
between the two main characters in That Obscure Object of Desire:  you can
see them talking, but you can't hear what they're saying.  I think that was
a very clever move on Bunuel's part.

davemarc