New Pynchon Novel Title to be Revealed Within the Next Week

[Rcfchess at aol.com]

In a message dated 07/17/2006 5:11:01 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
paul.mackin at verizon.net writes:

I think  I know why  I like Gravity's Rainbow better than M&D and why   
I hope the new book will tend more toward the former.

M&D is a  progress-through-life story. Life of two people and life of  
America.  People set out to do something and for better or  worse they   
bring it off somehow. They end up with some satisfactions and some   
regrets.  The carrying out a plan, even though a plan often  directed  
from above.  The progress may at limes be  questionable. But there is  
direction. It is a novel of Doing. Not a  bad thing of  course.

GR is a novel of Being.  Vividly living  through the nightmare of  
existence, without particular regard to the  importance and  
significance of Events--events mainly  indecisive.  A main theme of  
the novel is the  War. A  memorable passage asks, what does the  War  
want? A very  existential question.  The story never focusses very  
hard on  Winning the War. In fact, it doesn't really matter whether  
the war  is won or lost. Would have been a distinction  without a   
difference. Yet all the while people experience the 20th  century.   
Helplessly experience it. There are the Quests.   Quests that are  
quite futile.  Slothrop is as muddled at the  end as in the   
beginning. More so. The Herero are not   saved. The pivotal rocket  
launch is only beautiful and  final.

I am  hoping for a novel of Being.  Don't want  answers. Don't want  
progress. Don't want hope. Just want to  experience the  awful  
surface  of  reality, the  way  only Pynchon can program  it.







Well said. Hear, hear!
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