M&D's connections with R&G

[Mark Smith]

You are, of course, correct sir.  M&D bears an uncanny resemblance to
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by Tom Stoppard in places,
especially chunks of chapter 5, where our heroes are heard to say (p.44)
"Was there a mistake in the Plan of the Day?  Did we get a piece of
someone else's History, a fragment spall'd off of some Great Moment, - ",
etc.  The whole of chapter five is a meditation on fate, destiny, purpose,
and who, exactly, is pulling the strings.  By the way, and just to add to
the mix, I also hear definite echoes of Rowan Atkinson in "Black Adder"
episodes, espically the smart ass swearing on board ship (Jack "Fingers"
Soames, p. 53 and elsewhere).  It is entirely possible, I suppose, for Mr.
Pynchon to have rented or purchased a video from time to time, for viewing
in the comfort of his home, don't you think?

On Sun, 29 Jun 1997, Tommy the Tourist wrote:

> 
> Ok, I'm only on page 500 of M&D, but I see many parallels between it and R&G
> are Dead.  On page 471:
> 
> 	"He means," Darby hastily puts in, "that he's Mason, and I'm Dixon,
> 	isn't that right, 'Mason'?"
> 
> Of course, M&D is even funnier and richer than R&G, but R&G can be enjoyed all
> the way through in the course of an hour or two.
> 
> Oh, and another parallel that I've noticed:  I think the characters of the
> Profressor and Felipe the Torpedo are parallel with Otto and Ursula from GR.
> And I'm glad they're there, because I love those characters.
> 
> This post hasn't been very literary, has it.
> 
> Tom
> Do you think my methods are unsound, or just unheard of?
>