Vineland underrated

Terrance lycidas2 at earthlink.net
Thu Sep 25 22:31:49 CDT 2003



Mike Weaver wrote:
> The subject matter of Vineland includes a critical but sympathetic view of
> radical politics in the US in the late sixties.

Nope. 


> It seems to me that the mistake that the anti-lefties here make is by
> taking P's critiques of US radicalism to be made from outside the
> tradition. Recently Rob J wrote
> 
> >Pynchon's disillusionment with the "hippie resurgence" is pretty
> >   explicit in the _Slow Learner_ 'Intro' (SL 9.18-26), and ... amplified
> > in _Vineland_ into something
> >   which approaches a full-on critique
> 
> Trouble with this is that there is no evidence that P ever had illusions to
> be dissed. The final ineffectuality of the Counterforce in GR wasn't the
> creation of someone who overrated their strength and sinew in opposition to
> the "massive presence of money".

I agree. P never was a a 60's radical.



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