pynchon and food

[kevin at limits.org]

I think the way Pynchon uses food definitely deserves attention.  He
doesn't use it normally.  The foods in his books that spring to mind are
all comic in some way -- bananas, kreplach (gah!), cheese danishes, I seem
to remember crates of lettuce in chapter one of _V._.  If a food is not
altered in some way already, as Peter pointed out, it is used in a strange
way, like being used to nest a machine gun that goes "yibble-yibble."

On Wed, 1 Aug 2001, pynchon-l-digest wrote:
> From: Tim Strzechowski <Dedalus204 at mediaone.net>
> 
> It definitely adds a slap-sticky edge to the humor in his novels.  I cannot
> recall any specifics in _Vineland_, but my guess is that there has to be
> something similar there, too. Don't know 'bout MD. Besides, given his affinity
> for classic films, food becomes a motif for comic relief.  I wonder if anyone
> has done a scholarly study of food in P's works (much like food and drink have
> been a subject of much study in Dickens's works).
> 
> Peter Petto wrote:
> 
> > Maybe Pynchon has a penchant for dosed foods, or surprise foods (Pudding's
> > recipes or Mrs. Quoads candies, also from GR.)