Vollmann's Argall

[Richard Romeo]

from what I've read Argall has less of WV's intrusive (hey, I'm the writer, 
I'm part of the story, too) style--I hope so as all his books suffer from 
loads of inanity--gotta questions the length of his works and the 
frequency--his books, for the most part, are not fun to read.

Anyone read the longish essay/fiction "Defense of ground" in latest 
Conjunctions. Is Vollman is own worst enemy?  It would seem so.

Rich


>From: "James Kyllo" <plistmail at 666thebeast.com>
>To: "Richard Romeo" <richardromeo at hotmail.com>, "p-list" 
><pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Subject: Re: Vollmann's Argall
>Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2001 13:10:59 +0100
>
>There's already lots to compare the Seven Dreams and M&D.  Think of all
>those Jesuits in "Fathers and Crows".  Also see the following, where both
>seem to have used the same original source:
>
>M&D (Chap 66, pgs 633-4)
>
>To Thorfinn Karlsefni's settlement at Hop," relates Stig, who in lieu of
>smoking a Stogie, has begun to inspect his Ax-blade for flaws perceptible 
>to
>him alone,- "at the mouth of one of the Rivers of Vineland, the Skraellings
>come, to trade pelts for milk. What they really want are weapons, but
>Karlsefni has forbidden anyone to sell them. Upon the second visit,
>Karlsefni's wife Gudrid is inside the House, tending Snorri the baby, when
>despite the new Palisado and the Sentries, a strange, small Woman comes in,
>announc'd only by her Shadow, fair-hair'd, pale, with the most enormous 
>eyes
>Gudrid has ever seen, and asks, 'What is your Name?'
>"'My name is Gudrid,' replies Gudrid. 'What is your name?'
>"'My name is Gudrid,' she whispers, staring out of those Eyes. And all at
>once there is a violent crash, and the woman vanishes,- at the same 
>Instant,
>outside, one of the Northmen, struggling with one of the Skraellings, who
>has tried to seize his weapon, kills him. With terrible cries, the other
>Skraellings run away
>
> >From The Ice Shirt (Gudrid and Gudrid pgs 249-50)
>
>in Haymaking-Month they were trading with the Skraelings, and [Gudrid] was
>sitting in the doorway of the longhouse giving her little boy suck when she
>felt a shadow on the back of her neck, and looking up she saw a woman
>dressed in black, who was very pale, and had eyes too big for human eyes.
>"What is your name?" the woman said.
>"My name is Gudrid," said Gudrid. "And what's your name?" "My name is
>Gudrid," said the woman in a very strange voice, so that Gudrid could not
>tell whether she were mocking her or repeating what she had said without
>understanding it or whether her name really was Gudrid, which was possible
>since she did not seem to be a Skraeling. She had chestnut-colored hair,
>round which she wore a headband. [...] "Sit down with me," said Gudrid, and
>the other Gudrid smoothed her black kirtle with both hands and stepped
>slowly over to her, when suddenly there was a crash, and the woman 
>vanished.
>A Skraeling had just been killed by Karlsefhi's men for attempting to steal
>a sword.
>
>
>best
>
>James
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Richard Romeo <richardromeo at hotmail.com>
>To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 7:32 PM
>Subject: Vollmann's Argall
>
>
> > Hi all--
> >
> > It'll be interesting to take a peek at Vollmann's Argall, Bk 3 of the
>Seven
> > Dreams Series--parts are supposedly written in period English.
> > May stand as good counterweight w/ M&D (768 pgs worth)
> > to be released later this month.
> > If it's anything like the other books in the series, it'll be worth
>reading
> >
> > Rich
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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