New Pynchon Novel Title to be Revealed Within the Next Week

[Paul Mackin]

On Jul 17, 2006, at 5:54 PM, Rcfchess at aol.com wrote:

>     I guess a simpler way of saying what I said below would be that  
> - at least for me, and for Paul and some others as well (? - let me  
> know, please) - I'm more likely to suspend my disbelief when the  
> strings are covert rather than overt...
>
> In a message dated 07/17/2006 5:22:32 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> Rcfchess at aol.com writes:
>     In conjunction to which, the thought arises: in the former -  
> i.e., the "Doing" story - there is an unavoidable awareness on the  
> part of the reader of the author manipulating the characters; in  
> the latter, though it might be present, it's not as obvious, tacit,  
> or   heavy-handed, and so we have more of a feeling of "this could  
> happen"; it's not as clearly puppet-being-pulled-by-strings, so  
> we're more likely to believe it.
>
> RF
I know I can "identify" with the characters in GR better than with  
those in M&D. And this is odd because M and D are real persons and  
aren't we're always saying around here that Pynchon's people are two- 
dimensional.  Maybe the 18th Century is too distant to feel much  
empathy with. 19th Century characters are more like us.  And Slothrop  
is almost a contemporary. For me, that is, not for anyone else here.  
Two-dimensionality does keep him from seeming real. It's his other  
(magical) qualities that  set him apart.  The  observation might be  
made that Mason and  Dixon sometime sound too much like walking  
aphorisms. And they're too paired to come across as real actors on  
the stage of life. Not saying I  didn't like M&D,  but  I wouldn't  
want more of  the same in the new  book.


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

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