MDMD(Part1) possible style explanation...?

[William Karlin]

To continue...

In the Auster essay about Beckett's novel M&C, he also mentions how the
pace of the narrative matches that of a "walking pace" which "is beating
out the rhythms of Mericer and Camier's perambulations."

  This started me thinking about the structure of M&D.  Yes, Pynchon is
fond of narrative games, but mightn't there be a deeper purpose of (or
several...) the structure?  Rather than only playing with form, perhaps he
is trying to convey the sense of the work they were engaged in?  The
constant doubling back and rechecking, the diversions and delays that they
had to experience in observing the sky, the multiple measurements they had
to perform for accuracy...becoming the doubling back diversionary delays
that we readers had to experience.  Perhaps adding to our understanding of
their journey...?  A straightforward telling would strip that
understanding from us.  so all that extra stuff (those hundred pages or
more that some people didn't feel necessary) was intended to convey the
true length and maybe difficulty of their task.... (That may be way out on
a limb....)

  Does this jive with anybody?  Other takes on why he sets the story up in
the way he does?  Maybe he *is* just being inventive with technique?  

cheers,

 will