Pynchon's politics, as exhibited in Vineland

[kelber at mindspring.com]

The progressive political viewpoint in Vineland, as presented through the story of Frenesi and her family history, was the best part of the book.  The other pop-culture TV, Japanese martial arts, Cheech and Chong type sections were trite and uninteresting by comparison.  I'm personally looking forward to reading anything TRP would like to write about the Wobblies, the Western Federation of Miners, and any other aspects of the forgotten leftist history of this country.  Really hope he takes it on.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Carvill John <johncarvill at hotmail.com>
>Sent: Jul 26, 2006 2:24 PM
>To: strongbool at gmail.com, pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Pynchon's politics, as exhibited in Vineland
>
>
><<
>"But what is perhaps most interesting, finally, about [Vineland] is what is 
>different about it. What is interesting is the willingness with which he 
>addresses, directly, the political development of the United States, and the 
>slow (but not total) steamrollering of a radical tradition many generations 
>and decades older than flower power. There is a marvelously telling moment 
>when Brock Vond's brainchild, his school for subversion in which lefties are 
>re-educated and turned into tools of the state, is closed down because in 
>Reagan's America the young think like that to begin with, they don't need 
>re-education."
>>>
>
>Indeed, a classic quotation from a rare rave review of Vineland.
>
>I would say that for anyone who shares a broadly left-leaning political 
>worldview, the fact that Pynchon does too is readily apparent from reading 
>his other works, Vineland aside. It's comparable to standing next to someone 
>at a concert who's smoking a joint: if you don't know the smell of burning 
>marijuana then you'll maybe not recognise it, but if you do then there's no 
>mistaking it. With Vineland, he just made the politics explicit.
>
>Cheers
>
>JC
>
>