ATD: ad: Pynchon excerpt from new novel

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

I work in a bookstore. Nobody---and I mean nobody---ever came up to me and asked "Where can I find a copy of 'Mason & Dixon'?". When I showed up at the job six years ago, the store had stacks of remaindered copies of "M&D" and DeLillo's "Underworld" (I Bought three of the hardbound copies of "M&D" and one of "Underworld" [definitely a choice book for Pynchoniods]). Pynchon, despite the Simpsons, never will be a Dan Brown or even a Chuck Palahnuik---it's rather dubious that "ATD" will move that many copies, particularly considering its potential qualities as a doorstop. Telemarketing won't help, infomercials won't help.
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Tim Strzechowski" <dedalus204 at comcast.net>
> The out-of-context passage in question may not be the most beautiful thing 
> he's written, nor may it necessarily be his best humor, satire, social 
> commentary, etc.  But to the everyday reader (as opposed to the die-hards 
> like us) it offers a representative "taste" of the Pynchon style, which is 
> merely part of the marketing strategy.
> 
> That "taste" comes out in the wackiness of the ta-dum "osteopath/evangelist" 
> gag, the historicism of the backdrop, even the names and slapstick nature of 
> the "back" action.  For a reader who has heard of this Thomas Pynchon but 
> never read his books, this passage functions as a sample from the deli while 
> you're waiting in line for pastrami.
> 
> I don't believe there are malicious motives to choosing this particular 
> passage.  Someone earlier referred to it as appealing to a "least common 
> denominator" of reader.  The passage is a snippet of what we all know 
> Pynchon can sustain for much longer and do way better, but it's a quick 
> glimpse at his style for perhaps enticing those who are newbies to P.
> .
> 
> 
> > So the question remains:  Why would this one be the representative nibble 
> > to hit the streets?  It's almost as if someone is trying to make AD bomb.
> >
> 
>