Leslie Fielder wimps out

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "tess marek" <tessmarek at yahoo.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: Leslie Fielder wimps out


> Is DeLillo is simply better than Pynchon?
>

That maybe true or untrue, but I prefer to consider them as both playing in
the same league, with Pynchon in the lead and Gaddis on No. 2.

> With each of his novels Don DeLillo has enhanced his
> literary reputation and gained a wider audience.
> Pynchon has not.

I'm not sure about that.

> Delillo's prose is carefully crafted.
> Pynchon's prose is not.

Here I disagree. I think Pynchon is more dense.

> While both writers are concerned with verbal
> precision, Pynchon's is often awkward and cumbersome.

I've encountered it the other way round. I wouldn't call DeLillo awkward but
he can be cumbersome.

> Both have a dazzling intelligence.
> Both can be humorous,

Yes.

> but DeLillo has a Sharper,
> natural wit while Pynchon is often stupid funny or
> amusing himself at his reader's expense funny.

I do not believe that.

> DeLillo has surpassed Pynchon in brilliance,
> versatility, and breadth of imagination.

I doubt that.

> DeLillo has that rare creative gift that Pynchon
> lacks--the ability to identify and describe the exact
> look and feel of contemporary reality.

DeLillo definitely has that grasp on contemporary reality but I don't think
that being that mimetic is Pynchon's concern. I think he's more busy trying
to explore the foundations of contemporary reality.

> Both have beautiful language. DeLillo has more of it.
> Lots more.
>

DeLillo has written a lot more than Pynchon. I haven't read it all yet but
could it be that he might have begun to repeat himself?

Otto

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