De Zwaan: 'Entropy'

[jbor at bigpond.com]

On 24/08/2005 jbor at bigpond.com wrote:

> an essay in which the essayist tries to assert that the story 
> 'Entropy' is wonderful, arguing that Pynchon is not "a good critic of 
> his own work"

Pynchon's 'Entropy'
by Victoria De Zwaan. _Explicator_ 51.3,  Spring 1993, pp. 194-6.	
Abstract:
Discusses why it is a mistake to interpret Pynchon's early use of the 
term entropy as a straightforward declaration of an enduring doctrine, 
or even as his temporary belief. Different uses of the term entropy 
explored in the early short story `Entropy'; thermodynamics and 
information theory and the problems that follow from applying the 
concept to social, biological, and psychological systems.

Excerpt:
"I know that, in his introductory comments to _Slow Learner_, Pynchon 
criticized this story for its cerebral qualities; but I disagree with 
his assessment of a piece that now seems to him immature, presumably 
because he has found different approaches more fruitful since then. In 
other words, I don't think Pynchon a good critic of his own work." 
(196)

Pdf available.

best