thoughts

[Spencer Thiel]

At 8:08 AM -0600 1/28/00, DudiousMax at aol.com wrote:

[snip]
>But it is still important that we readers know which genres
>they are.
[snip]

Why?  This is an honest question and not a cynical remark.  I never ever
think of this stuff when I read a book.  Maybe it is my science training
that makes me scoff at categorization of fiction.  Fiction is by its very
nature relative to the person or persons who wrote it and therefore can't
be placed into nice little flow charts.  Is it really necessary, or even
possible to figure out where Pynchon fits in in literary history?  Would
anyone care if English majors weren't forced to read Aristotle?  Am I going
to be on my death bed, filled with regret because I couldn't ever figure
out what post-modern meant?  Do I miss something when I read his books
because I am not able to identify the transition between Menippean Satire
and regular satire?
-- 

-
st.
-