Bad COL49?

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

A thought about COL49.  A quick re-look reminded me that there are indeed
some wonderful things in it, but I think TRP's own disappointment can be
seen in at least two elements: 1) characters--aside from Oedipa, none of
the major characters rises above sketch-work (I hesitate to call them
"cartoonish"--maybe in the original sense of the term).  Compared to the
depth and complexity of most of GR's even minor characters, they seem
very flat indeed.

2) narration: It's a cliche that writers should "show, not tell" but there
P does much more telling than showing (there are exceptions, of course).
The rather univocal narrator goes on and on--sometimes quite well, but the
voice is too pseudo-Jamesian to achieve the effect that the novel could have.

Again, though, there are some wonderful isolated moments: the Deaf-Mute
Convention, Oedipa's Dark Night of the Soul (when she gets "beat up"),
the remarkable parody *and* pastiche of THE COURIER'S TRAGEDY, etc.

Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)