Tom LeClair reviews AtD in Bookforum

[Tore Rye Andersen]

>From: Will Layman <WillLayman at comcast.net>
>
>As someone who whacked on MalignD for being so negative a few days  ago, 
>I've got to defend Mr. LeClair right not to like AtD and still  be 
>respected.  LeClair has written brilliant stuff about Pynchon (GR  in 
>particular) and probably knows Pynchon inside-out better than all  but the 
>most dedicated of us.
>
>Give the guy a break: he didn't like it.  It is allowed.
>
>-- Will Layman
>

I've never said that it wasn't allowed to dislike AtD. I've read both 
LeClair's book on DeLillo and his 'The Art of Excess' and I find both books 
very interesting. My only comment regarded LeClair's curious oversight re: 
the Traverses, which - sorry to say - does seem to indicate that LeClair 
doesn't know Pynchon as inside-out as you speculate.
I've nothing against well-argued and well-founded negative reviews - I can 
certainly find faults with Pynchon as well as you can see if you look 
through the archives - but I have to say that I find Louis Menand's negative 
review of AtD much more well-argued and well-founded than LeClair's.
For instance, saying that Pynchon in AtD just gives us the Baedekerland that 
he mocked in V. is a facile point, IMO - AtD includes its own ferocious 
critique of tourists, but LeClair has chosen to ignore this, as it would 
detract from this eloquent line of criticism. Here LeClair misrepresents AtD 
- something that Menand does not.

Best,

Tore

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