[Paul Mackin]

On Thu, 27 Jul 2000, Dave Monroe wrote:

> .... well, I have to agree with just about everyone on this question.  You
> really SHOULD be able to read and enjoy and be interested in and be stimulated
> by and maye even learn a little something from the books--Pynchon, Shakespeare,
> whoever (actually, I think DeLillo IS a "popular" writer, certainly, Libra is
> eminently approachable, and I can't imagine too many complaints about his other
> books from yr "average" novel-readin' reader)--WITHOUT necessarily taking a
> seminar on any of it or delving into the so-called "critical apparatus" or
> whatever 

Quite right I would certainly say and it's odd that anyone might have
suggested otherwise but alas others have--such others being as far as I
know never from academia but from ANTIacademia in the persona (among
others) of  distinguished critic Gore Vidal. His Plastic Fiction piece
keeps poping up around here like a bad penny. In it he used the
designation "university novel" to mean a book that was written not to be
read but to be studied. He included Gravity's Rainbow in the category
though certain not DeLillo.

By the way I meant to mention in connection with Ben's post that there was
an early Cliff Notes-style (if not ClIff Notes itself) exegesis of
Gravity's Rainbow. It was written by an assistant professor at the
University of South Caroline whose name I don't remember. I've got it here
somewhere but can't find it. I certainly learned a thing or two from it
which I hadn't captured from an independent reading.

			P.








(those annotations sure come in handy when one's English is a bit at a
> remove from that of a given author, however--how much longer 'til we "modernize"
> Shakespeare the way we do Chaucer?  And I've been recently contemplating the
> eventual all-out penguin Classics ed. of Gravity's Rainbow, complete with
> traditional introduction and annotations), BUT ... well, I also realize and
> appreciate the value of, quite enjoy, even, said "apparatus."  At any rate,
> Gravity' Rainbow was pretty much my inroad into capital-L Lit'rachure in the
> first place, somewhere in the midst of an attempted career as a physics student,
> so ... But me, my real struggles have been with Joyce. Ulysses is rough going
> enough--the Homer, mythology, whatever, is one thing, but the Vico, the
> theology, the Irish history ... indeed, I initially thought of Gravity's Rainbow
> as a Ulysses I had some inroads to--but I can only claim to have really (REALLY)
> read Finnegans Wake in the way that one can claim to have added vermouth to a
> dry martini ... but my beef is hardly with people who ENJOY a given text without
> worrying all too much about what untold complexities might lie within, just
> don't badmouth it if you're not willing to see what others might have noticed
> that you didn't ... but, hey, on Shakespeare in the American West, see Lawrence
> W. Levine, Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America ...
> all sorts of great stuff on say, opera as well ... Shakespeare, opera were,
> indeed, once "popular," of the people, in These United States, apparently ...
> 
> Ben McLeod wrote:
> 
> > > > The natural prey of English Professors and teaching assistants- a whole
> > > > nother matter, entirely.
> > >
> > >Not really, and I would hope that the texts are strong enough to speak for
> > >themselves. But the fact of the matter is that that's where Pynchon is
> > >probably doomed to be most read. As I said, students aren't all caught up
> > >in
> >
> > >can you really dismiss anyone affiliated in any way with a university >ipso
> > >facto? isn't that somewhat arrogant?
> >
> > >a bad generalization?
> >
> > >- -c.
> >
> >   Alright, I was really going to try and keep my mouth shut- I'm new to the
> > list, only been on for the last couple days, and I had decided to hold back
> > for a while, you know, get the feel for things...
> >   But I've got to it-- does it ever seem like maybe Pynchon, and Gaddis, and
> > deLillo never seem to trickle down to "the masses" *shudder* at the shotgun
> > spread of generalization- because those 'in the know' have a tendency to
> > hold these books over their heads?
> >   This is purely personal experience, as someone who didn't benefit from
> > college (didn't attend), and was tarred and feathered out of high school,
> > but whenever I've brought up Pynchon with the educated folks, I feel awfully
> > patronized.  As if to say that since I never read these  books in a class
> > with 20 other people, I didn't really get it.
> >   Reading as recreation is becoming more and more infrequent (it seems), but
> > the hyperliterate folks don't seem to be very encouraging.
> >   In what seems to me to be a perfectly appropriate reference, I would refer
> > my esteemed colleagues to Kyle Baker's classic 'graphic novel', _The Cowboy
> > Wally Show_, when the fat drunken western-style namesake is accused of
> > "destroying" Hamlet (by performing it in prison with hand puppets)
> >   "Oh yeah, I'm destroying Shakespear's snob appeal...How can you be so
> > selfish?  Why do you hate the common man so?  Why do you want to deprive
> > them of the cultural advantages you have?
> >   "I know your kind.  You like the idea that Shakespear belongs to a select
> > group of intellectuals.  You like the fact that you can quote Shakespear at
> > a party, and only one or two people will really know what you are talking
> > about.  Shakespear is the secret language of an intellectual in-crowd.  With
> > your secret club code.
> >   "You don't appreciate Shakespear.  Shakespear was an entertainer.  Your
> > just using his genius to make yourself feel superior to other people.  If
> > anyone has destroyed Shakespear, it's you."
> >
> >   This was not meant to be an indictment of the list, and everyone posting
> > on it.  I'm pleased to be privy to these discussions, and I hope no one will
> > take this personally.
> >   But I sincerly love GR, Vineland, V, ect.  And gaddis.  And Coover, and
> > plenty of other people whos works I feel like I've had to steal from a place
> > where I was unwelcome, and often still do (like _this_ is going to help!)
> >
> >   _The Cowboy Wally Show_ also has the giant monster spectacular "Ed Smith,
> > Lizard of Doom".  Worth a look.
> >
> > nohead
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