Re. Warped and Distilled?

[Paul Mackin]

On Wed, 13 Jan 1999, David Morris wrote:

> Me:  I continue to state that VL is not "about" the 60's, GR is not "about" 
> WW2, MD is not "about" the actual people and events.  Though they are chock 
> full of amazingly detailed true facts of history these are primarily 
> vehicles for his "real" messages.  It's the "real" message that keeps me 
> reading (as well as the "warped" way he delivers it).

That's also MY reason for rereading Vineland. However, I don't think I'm
getting "the (excuse the expression) message." Keep thinking I must have
missed a chapter somewhere along the line. Some foundation for thinking
about Brock and Frenesi and the rest. Too much seems like random 
Pynchonizing. The final paragraph of VLVL(6) is a good example--the one
that ends with Brock laughing, whether AT or WITH Frenesi I don't remember
having any way of knowing. It's true that GR also has a considerable
amount of essentially indeterminate goings-on but the atmospherics at
least carry it through. 

Brock is a particular puzzle. If it weren't for the fact that we have the
convenient label of "prosecutor" to  hang on him, with all the current
connotation of that designation, he would be virtually invisible. And
aside from her working class stuggle background what do really know about
Frenesi except that she is beautiful and adored by men and women like?

Help.


			P.