MMV: Context

Otto ottosell at yahoo.de
Fri Aug 20 09:22:08 CDT 2004


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith McMullen" <keithsz at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Pynchon Shitlist" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 7:17 AM
Subject: Re: MMV: Context

> >>>It's an interesting story. Obviously worth reading and
> discussing as part of the Pynchonian oeuvre and in its
> own right.  I expect that Pynchon made a conscious
> decision not to include it in Slow Learner and I don't
> presume to know why he made that choice.<<<
>
> Maybe he didn't want to spoil a collection of sophomoric, shitty
> stories with an interesting one.
>

As I said:
> "Maybe, but this is speculation too, it is left out of "Slow
> Learner" because it is spared for a later collection of
> stories he considers to be better."
>

But I've heard rumours that this way of answering Rob's
speculation by using the "opposite" speculation was kinda
brain-numbingly perverse.

Rob:
> So low is Pynchon's regard for it that the story is not mentioned -- let
> alone included -- in the collection of his early stories published as
> _Slow Learner_ (1984). Pynchon describes the stories that have been
> included in that collection as "pretentious, goofy and ill-considered"
> (4); it's safe to say that he believed that 'MMV' is even worse.
>

My main point is of course directed against this "it's safe to say" which
kills any further discussion. What I'd like to see from someone who is
giving such a harsh judgement are some arguments.

I don't even claim that it's a good story although I liked it better than
any other story from SL except "The Secret Integration" according 
to my personal taste. What I like about the ending is that the formerly 
colonised are coming to haunt us.

Otto



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