A Historical Novel of a New Sort

[Dave Monroe]

>From Inger H. Dalsgaard, "Gravity's Rainbow: A
Historical Novel of a New Sort," Pynchon Notes 50-51
(Spring-Fall 2002), pp. 34-50 ...

   "Much depends on the reader.  When, shortly before
his death, tony Tnner described Gravity's Rainbow as
'a historical novel of a whole new sort,' on his mind
may have been not only the subject matter but also the
interactions between history amd fiction which
Pynchon's collaboration with his reader allows.  The
author does noy just tell us what he knows about the
Second World War ... the way a historical novelist of
an earlier generation might.  I fact, there is a lot
about that setting he does not tell us, or, to be
precise, does not oevrtly tell us he is telling us--if
we were able to perceive it all, taht is.  Rather,
both the extent to which history is recognized and
what role it comes to play in the act of reading are
left to the knowledge (or research) of the reader. 
Whether this history carries a lesson and what that
lesson might be also depend on the inclination of the
reader.  This essay investigates the peculiar
interactive and collaborative relation not only
between history and fiction inGravity's Rainbow but
also between the authority of Pynchon himself and that
of his reader inthat juncture between ideas of what is
'real' and what is 'invented,' which terms like
history and fiction traditionally suggests....' (p.
35)

http://www2.ham.muohio.edu/~krafftjm/contents.html

http://www2.ham.muohio.edu/~krafftjm/order.html

http://www2.ham.muohio.edu/~krafftjm/pynchon.html

People and events and other business keep interfering
with me getting any notes up, but will make a
concereted effort through the weekend ...

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