Hangover after AtD (No spoilers)

[John BAILEY]

Turned the last page myself yesterday, too, after a 12-hour final leg,
and hangover is an entirely appropriate term in my case. I have to say,
too, that the last 2-250 pages impressed me more than most of Pynchon's
writing, and suggested that he wasn't trying to write another GR at all.
AtD sure as hell craps all over M&D, I think.

I'm not sure that it would have been an A+ if another writer had penned
it, though; I was thinking throughout that this is a novel I really
loved, and was the novel I hoped for, but if it had been written by some
no-name author I don't know if I would have been so charitable. Because
I can read it through the Iceland spar of P's other novels, it takes on
much more meaning to me. Bad metaphor, I know.

But yeah, to those hitting a hump halfway through, it's definitely worth
soldiering on.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
Behalf Of Ya Sam
Sent: Monday, 11 December 2006 6:59 AM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Hangover after AtD (No spoilers)

Just finished that baggy monster. As some mentioned before me it's a
very uneven book, and to tell the truth I am half-disappointed with it,
as I have an impression that Pynchon was running out of language with
this one, sacrificing style for research. Many will oppose me with the
claim that all the stylistic flaws of AtD are purposeful, but after
fininishing the book I don't think it is quite so. On the brighter side
of it: it's a hell of a research, and there extremely beautiful
passages.
Despite my hightened (excessively perhaps) expectations  being thwarted,
I thinks it's a very good novel which is dazzling in some places and the
mark 
B+ is rightly deserved. If it had been written by any other writer it 
B+ would
have been A+++ ad infinitum, but it's Pynchon. The encyclopedic treasure
trove this novel contains is astronishing and I am happy for people with
sciences background, for they will enjoy AtD on a much higher level than
liberal arts people. I will start reading all the reviews that have been
accumulated by now . After that I will go on a literary diet: pulp crime
novels and sci-fi two times a day for two weeks :) Good luck to all
still struggling with it!

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