thoughts

[Jsh Krtbn]

Spencer Thiel writes:
>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?

Maybe not, but try not taking the original poster's point so literally.
We're not likely to find satire, or even slapstick comedy like
the candy scene, in a book like _Tender is the Night_. The fact that
different genres are apparently combined in GR should alert us that
different kinds of reading may be helpful for understanding the book.





Josh

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