"Difficult"?

[Greg Montalbano]

I thought I'd take advantage of the current relative lull on the list to
toss out a question about the much-vaunted difficulty of reading the works
of Thomas Ruggles Pynchon (there;  does THAT satisfy you anti-initials
freaks?).  I've had the feeling, of late, that everyone from the whining,
carping reviewers to many of the folks on this list seem to find reading his
books REALLY TOUGH GOING;  tough but rewarding, tough but annoying, tough
but intellectually stimulating, etc etc etc

Am I the only one who takes exception to this?  I mean, I've always read FOR
PLEASURE, first and foremost;  and it seems to me that even the most
non-analytical readers (among whom I number myself) can, if they're willing
to relinquish control & just let themselves be swept along by an author
they've learned to trust, can enjoy the alternating playfulness, intensity,
insight and STORIES (strange, hilarious and wonderful stories) this writer
has to offer. {{This is not to ignore the myriad other levels, sublevels,
lattices, matrices, and crystalline cross-structures at work in his
writings;  readers who are so inclined -- or who are being forced to read
this stuff & write a paper on it -- have all these levels available to them;
but they shouldn't be seen as the END of his writing.}}

Now, Umberto Eco & his stultifying infinite regressions ("Thinking back to
that night, as I stood remembering the previous summer, when we talked of
out youth, reminiscing about our lives as sperm, basking in the memories of
our past incarnations ....."  -- about which point I REALLY want to use a
cattle-prod on the guy) are kind of tough going for ME.  
Truth be told, I find some of Andrew's lengthier posts rather akin to hard
labor (no offence, Andrew;  this is more a comment on the reader than the
writer, no?).
...I have never looked up from a Pynchon novel & thought "This is HARD!"

Anybody else?
~G~
______________________________________________________
"No matter HOW good she looks, there's a guy somewhere
 who just can't TAKE any more of her shit."
               --Anonymous Graffiti