A Journey Into the Mind of P. / Halldor Laxness

[Chris Crocker]

I just watched this film earlier today.  I actually found the film quite 
disturbing(maybe this is too strong a word).  I can imagine Thomas Pynchon 
watching this himself and not wanting to leave his apartment.  As for the 
reporter who ambushed Pynchon walking through his neighborhood, with his son 
no less, that was just too much.  I hope that this film was not a 
representative cross-section of Pynchon's fan base.  A group of people so 
obsessed not so much with his work, but with uncovering his physical 
apperance.

It is one thing to follow around Hollywood celeberties, where snapping the 
right picture could actually provide well enough for your children.  I may 
be wrong, but I don't think that a photogrpah of someone like Thoms Pynchon 
could fetch any real amount of money (unless the money was provided by one 
of these fans).  It seems to me that any such photograph would be come as 
the result of an obsessive quest for ... for I don't what reason.

Also I found it quite ironic that the title of the film is 'A journey into 
the mind of P.", but most of the second half of the film, and what you could 
call the climax, concerns only the image of P.  Does anyone else have any 
critiques or comments on the film?

I am also currently reading a book "Independent People" by Icelandic author 
Halldor Laxness.  Not really any similarity to Pynchon, but a great read 
none-the-less.  From what I know most of his works were written in 
Icelandic, but I can only believe that Independent People was written in 
English, or that Laxness translated the work himself.

Chris

_________________________________________________________________
Play Q6 for your chance to WIN great prizes.  
http://q6trivia.imagine-live.com/enca/landing