new book (was Re: Slade: Group Theory in _Vineland_

[jbor at bigpond.com]

If Slade is correct about "the historical" (!) Galois and Weed Atman, 
and it's only that one of the characters in the new novel "is modeled 
closely on" the female Russian mathematician, Sonya Kovalevskya (sp?), 
then it could be quite a different novel to what some have been 
assuming (i.e. it won't be a sort of fictionalised biography at all.) 
It might be worthwhile looking more closely at the original wording of 
the info which was leaked (leaked, again, by Michael Naumann?)

It has always seemed doubtful to me that Pynchon would write some sort 
of "straight" historical or biographical novel. On the other hand, I'm 
hoping it does follow the _M&D_ trend more than the _Vineland_ one; 
even though the latter text's point about and exemplification of the 
way that postmodern techno-consumerist culture is transitory, soulless, 
dates and then regenerates itself almost instantaneously is an apt one, 
the humour of it actually has dated really quickly.

The more recent rumour posted about the new novel starting off with "a 
socialist-style revolution in a retirement home" makes it sound a bit 
like a reprise of or response to Updike's first (underrated) novel, 
_The Poorhouse Fair_. But that rumour, as usual, is of the "Someone 
somewhere said that ... " variety which this list seems chronically 
prone to. (It'd be good to have an actual reference or reputable 
source, in other words. Or else the book ... when it's ready!)

best

On 20/04/2005 jbor at bigpond.com wrote:

> Galois
> http://www.galois-group.net/
>
> James Gibson
> http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~philos/MindDict/gibsonj.html
>
> 'Communication, Group Theory, and Perception in _Vineland_' by Joseph 
> W. Slade.
> _Critique_ 32, 1990, pp. 126-144. (pdf)
>
> best
>
> On 18/04/2005 jbor at bigpond.com wrote:
>
>> Essay (pdf) by one-time p-lister, discusses _Vineland_ in the context 
>> of Foucault, New Historicism (Greenblatt's "cultural artefacts") and 
>> mathematical Group Theory:
>>
>> 'The New Historicist Creepers of _Vineland_' by Mark Robberds.
>> _Critique_ 36.4, 1995, pp. 237-248.
>>
>> Excerpt:
>> "Although references to science and technology are not as overt in 
>> _Vineland_ as they are in Pynchon's other works, Joseph Slade has 
>> located a number of references to Galois's Group Theory in the text. 
>> Slade claims that the character of Weed Atman seems to be modeled 
>> closely on the historical Galois. Both are characterized as brilliant 
>> mathematicians who became involved in radical political 
>> organizations. Slade also points out that there are many passages 
>> about light in the novel that reveal the application of Group Theory 
>> to perception by the psychologist James Gibson. [...]" (241)
>>
>> Robberds' discussion is well-constructed and worthwhile . Like most 
>> readers, he recognises the ambivalence/s at play in the text. He 
>> asks: "How clear-cut are Pynchon's politics in _Vineland_?" (243)
>>
>> best
>>
>