Nobel favourite

[Ya Sam]

I don't think the Nobel commitee is interested in the literary values 
represented by this or that writer' work. I've never been present during 
their discussions, but I'm afraid it's something like this: 1. too few 
female writers have received the prize; 2. we haven't given the prize to a 
poet for a long time; 3. we've been awarding too many European authors, 
ergo: let's give the prize to this nice Vietnamese female poet nobody knows 
about. (NB: Have nothing against Vietnamese female poets, it's just an 
example)

The literature awards contradict the very logic of the Nobel Prize. If in 
case of physics or chemistry they award breakthrough discoveries, they are 
not guided by the same criteria when selecting writers. In terms of 
literature, IMHO, Pynchon's prose is tantamount to the discovery of DNA 
structure, just like Joyce's writing was. With all respect to Coetzee or 
Jelinek, what they write is not the turning point in the development of 
world literature, but Pynchon's work is a landmark that will remain in 
history after most of the laureates will be long forgotten. Joyce never got 
the prize and Pynchon's chances appear to be quite slim. Maybe this is the 
way it should be.

Y.


>From: Cyrus <ioannissevastianos at yahoo.gr>
>To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: Nobel favourite
>Date: Fri, 07 Oct 2005 14:27:20 +0300
>
>I guess when they say "mainstream" they really mean "anglo-saxon". And 
>"experimental" must mean "with a non-anglo-saxon point of view". Sometimes 
>I get the feeling it's all politics.
>
>And Pynchon hasn't produced anything recently. Isn't that a criterion?
>
>Cyrus
>
>John Carvill wrote:
>
>>Yeah, like JM Coetzee is really experimental.
>>
>>Pynchon mainstream? Jeez Louise!
>>
>>My money's on either Roth or (they keep sayin') Bob Dylan.
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
>>Behalf Of Paul Taylor
>>Sent: 07 October 2005 09:52
>>To: jbor at bigpond.com
>>Cc: pynchon-l at waste.org
>>Subject: Re: Nobel favourite
>>
>>from http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=29389:
>>
>><<Thente [Swedish lit. crit.] said he would like to see "the great
>>American postmodernist authors Don DeLillo or Thomas Pynchon" take
>>home the prestigious award, but Weyler [Swed. chief. ed.] said he
>>didn't think they had a chance.
>>"They are great epic writers, but they are considered very mainstream.
>>They're not very experimental, pushing the boundaries of literature,"
>>he said. >>
>>
>>Pynchon in the 'mainstream'.  Ouch.
>>
>>--PT
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

_________________________________________________________________
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! 
http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/