Barth, Pynchon, heirs etc.

[Will Layman]

I agree with James that YOU BRIGHT AND RISEN ANGELS is a terrific book and
certainly the one that most clearly suggests Vollmann's "Pynchon-ness."  It
was his first and was probably written under some kind of Pynchon spell.
It's funny and cartoonish and wild and interesting.  It certainly ties up
some scientific concerns with more typical novelistic concerns.

The other Vollmann that I like very much is a book of stories called  THE
RAINBOW STORIES.  No GR connection there, but rather a color-themed set of
tales, largely based in one of Vollmann's home bases:  the San Francisco
Tenderloin district.  The story "The Blue Wallet" is funny and wonderful.  I
regularly teach it and find that it repays repeated readings.

-- Will

On 9/20/05 6:51 PM, "James Kyllo" <jkyllo at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd say "You Bright and Risen Angels" if only because it's his first (and the
> first I read, and very good.. and taking it down from the shelf now, I see why
> I bought it in the first place - from the Publishers Weekly quote on the back
> "..a comic-surrealistic assault upon reason that should appeal to those who
> enjoy Thomas Pynchon").  Another approach for the Pynchonist would be through
> "The Ice Shirt" & "Fathers & Crows" which share concerns (and at one point
> source material) with "Mason & Dixon".   Not sure what you mean about "what to
> aim for", as for why - well, for me anyway, it's as literate and compelling as
> almost anything I've read bar Pynchon and Gaddis.
>  
> Paul - I have yet to read "Europe Central", and he certainly isn't consistent,
> but I'd happily recommend the three above and "The Royal Family"
>  
> all the best
>  
> James
>  
>  
>  
> On Sep 20, 2005, at 3:16 PM, Dave Monroe wrote:
> 
>> > Of everyone periodically mentioned along these lines,
>> > it's Vollman I'm least familiar with.  I don't recall
>> > him even coming much in the critical apparatus or
>> > whatever, unlike Barth or Barthelme or DeLillo or ...
>> > anyway, any recommendations ion where to start?  Where
>> > to aim for?  And why?  Let me know.  Thanks!
> 
> I don't know much about Vollman  but I'd definitely advise
> against Europe Central.
> 
> Vollman is encyclopedic all right I guess. But the knowledge
> feels like it was assembled by computer rather than by a human
> author.  He's more a researcher than a writer, was my general
> feeling.  Pynchon is both a researcher and a writer.
> 
> I  know James is generally sound and i hope I'm not doing Vollman
> an injustice with just the experience of this one book.
> 
> P.
>> >
>> > --- James Kyllo < jkyllo at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >
>>> >> What an odd selection! I'll certainly speak up for
>>> >> Vollman, who is for me the only serious (living)
>>> >> competitor to TRP - his best stuff matches
>>> >> Pynchon's but his quality control is even worse....
>>> >>
>> >
>> > __________________________________________________
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>> >
> 
>  
> 
> 


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