read and going to read

[Richard Romeo]

Hard to say, really

I'm never that spooked out by DFW like Delillo or Pynchon. He's like Gaddis, more of a satirist, though, IMHO, DFW doesn't have the skill at making coherent structures to his novels (IJ is like Beckett--some gold nuggets but lots of fruitless prospectin).
IJ showed a heck've a lot of range--more so than any current younger than 50 crop--(as did the story collection Girl with Curious Hair) but everything post-IJ has been, IMHO, mediocre (too much self-conscious mind fuckery)

As for yr other question about Motherless Brooklyn--being a Brooklyn-native, I never got the sense of place by reading the book--he doesn't have the streets down like say delillo does (though bits of Fortress are better at this). Lethem writes too much about himself in his work too--his range is limited. Didn't Pynchon say something about going out and hitting the road for inspiration, lonely bus terminals, e.g.
Maybe we don't live in that kind've world.

There's this novel by Michael McIntosh (sp) called Well which showed a refreshing amount of range, revolving around the demi-monde of contemporary Seattle. Can't have too many voices.

p.s. think delillo has a new non-fiction in latest Grand Street; and interesting interview with JG Ballard in the Guardian over the weekend.

rich

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf Of umberto rossi
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 5:27 PM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: read and going to read


In data 22 Jun 2004, verso le 14:07, Dave Monroe si trovò a scrivere 
su Re: read and going to read:

> I've never
> even bothered with Infinite Jest ...

Oh, well, this is definitely more interesting... here DF Wallace is 
way more famous than Pynchon. I never gathered enough energy as to 
read something he has written, because some irrational instinct told 
me that having read Pynchon and DeLillo I might be disappointed. But 
that means I haven't read any Wallace yet, and how can I judge him 
and his stuff without having read anything at all? So, since I 
imagine there are many here who have read both his fiction & 
Pynchon's, I ask you: have I missed some Big Thing, or can I go on 
this way, that is, Wallace-less?

umberto rossi
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