Lulu

[Paul Mackin]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Monroe" <davidmmonroe at yahoo.com>


> Paul Mackin, I believe, and quite appropriately, I
> believe,  brought up Frank Wedekind's "Lulu" plays in
> re: Pynchon's various femmes fatales (Hedwig, Melanie,
> Bianca, Katje, the various V.'s) a little while back.
> From Ben Brantley, "'Lulu': Men Were Her Victims, or
> So She Thought," in today's New York Times (Tuesday,
> July 3rd, 2001) ...

Would be nice to think the play is not overly weighted with the child sexual
abuse theme and social forces as the Times' review hints at. Will let you
know when I see it. Have no idea what the original Wedekind was like. Don't
remember actually seeing the film--the amount I read about it and Louise
Brooks would have swampted the live experience anyway. Am anxious to see how
the relationship between Lulu and her father is handled in the new version.
If Pynchon were doing it I think there would be somewhat less attention on
Lulu the corruptED than upon Lulu the corruptOR. P might be considered quite
the naughty boy by modern standards. Have been trying to think back to what
it was like reading about father daughter incest in the early sixties when
it wasn't quite so de regueur and a cliche as it has become today.

        P.