Newsday review of AtD

[rich]

the problem with emotional connection is that you only read about folks you
can relate to which seems pretty stringent.

i'd like vivid works of imagination any day over the dry laments of mr and
mrs marriage

people want an overarching handle on everything; sometimes just revolving
around the mix is the point, gaining your own bearing

i hope the writer can give me the benefit of the doubt to learn how to
swim--just don't insult my intelligence

rich

On 11/17/06, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The point is that Pynchon's worlds are constructed around very
> abstract concepts, and thus by nature his characters tend to be parts
> of an abstract mechanism being explored, and as a result their
> "humanness" is subject to compromise.  It's an observation, good or
> bad is your judgement call.  But I think the very foundation of
> fiction is the creation of worlds and characters, and a reader wants
> to "relate" to these creations, have an emotional connection.  Thus at
> least some aspect of the character has to feel "real" to the reader.
> Otherwise reading about some theoretical construct embodied in a
> fictional world becomes a pretty dry experience.
>
> David Morris
>
> On 11/17/06, rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com> wrote:
> > funny, but do "realistic fiction" writers get nailed for not including
> things outside their own characters heads?
> >
> > you wouldn't really know what kind of life people live today by reading
> mainstream or realistic fiction, namely the effect technology is having in
> our lives
> >
> > it's just stupid--richard ford's frank bascomb--is he not a symbol as
> well?
> >
> > my point is literature is legion--it's not this or that. just don't see
> considering the canvas Pynchon is working on/within that these kind've
> criticisms are a problem for me.
> >
> > but I'm not a huge fiction reader anymore rich
>
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