98% Orwell Free

[Paul Nightingale]

An intriguing proposition, with no end of possibilities. Leaving aside
for the moment the fact that little discussion of Pynchon's Foreword (as
opposed to Orwell's novel and the obligatory infighting) has heretofore
taken place ... who would the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks be?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
> Behalf Of Paul Mackin
> Sent: 26 May 2003 16:10
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Re: 98% Orwell Free
> 
> On Mon, 2003-05-26 at 10:52, David Morris wrote:
> > --- Jonathan Hall <jmh69 at cam.ac.uk> wrote:
> > > As an aside on the 'Foreword' discussion: I'm relieved Pynchon
writes
> very
> > few essays; the 'Ellipse of Uncertainty' drawn by his novels is much
> more
> > becoming.
> >
> > This foreword discussion shows, I think, that Pynchon wants to
maintain
> that
> > 'Ellipse of Uncertainty' even in his essays.  He doesn't want to be
> nailed
> > down.  But in this case he's not very entertaining nor thought
> provoking.  It's
> > one big "ho-hum" IMHO.
> 
> 
> Yeah, I agree, but it still looks like at least another week is going
to
> be spent on "the introduction" as predictable and non-rewarding as
this
> is likely to be. The sad fact is, there is nothing much else to talk
> about.
> 
> I'd like to suggest a possible way of livening things up little.
> 
> The mind numbing experience of last week was I think due to the fact
> that the 9/11 people and the non-9/11 people don't seem to be speaking
> the same language. It's like they were from different planets. (no
fair
> speculating on which are the Martians)
> 
> Anyway, since there obviously isn't going to be any further meeting of
> the minds between the two main affinity groups, why not drop the
> inter-group back and forth and concentrate for a week on intra-group
> differences of opinion.  There are such differences. Though these
might
> not be very major, more details than anything else, still they might
be
> interesting to iron out.
> 
> So, how about this? During the experiment the 9/11 people would talk
> only to other 9/11 people and the same would go for the non-9/11
people.
> 
> What y'all think?
> 
> P.
> 
>