atd dissapointment

[Jordan Fink]

Well, Bob,

I'd just have to say that for every Pynchon book, you gotta do the
research to understand the era. Once you do that, then you know what he's
talking about and it's easier to get through. I didn't like M&D the first
time I tried it. so I sat down and read everything I could about Mason and
Dixion and the EIC and colonial america. Then I sat down again with a pint
of stout and read it outloud for about half the book- it really helped me
get the tone and meter.

Pynchon is one of those writers who is so detailed that he seems like
nonsense if you are even skimming a little, but once you read every single
word, it begins to come together.

I found the first 80 or so pages a little weird and then it clicked and
suddenly i got it, the language opened up and became clear and beautiful,
the interactions and the people more real then the people who share my
home with me. Time itself and history itself became a character.

Unless you get back on the horse and climb over that next ridge, Bob, you
don't know what you are missing.

warmly,
jordan


Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:23:21 -0500
From: "bob mccart" <lebishar@[omitted]>
To: p-list <pynchon-l@[omitted]>
Subject: atd dissapointment


I don't mean to start a flame war, but is anyone else incredibly disapointed
with Against the Day. I've read only to 120 because the interest just isn't
there. I've read everything else except Mason&Dixon, which from the little I
have read of it I expect to be very much like ATD. ATD moves to quickly.
Pynchon establishes no 'immediacy' of plot. Instead of setting, we have a
chronology. Events move to fast and are undeveloped. Pynchon seems to try to
ground the book in the 'now' with dialogue, which is often nothing more than
a one liner maybe followed up by a response. Whether the slang is accurate
or not, it's almost like Pynchon over the years has grown worse and worse at
writing dialogue. Some of short stories attempt different voices for
different people. I should say I love V, and Gravity's Rainbow is probably
my favorite book. In Vineland I was willing to accept what I saw as this new
style of his--mainly because it was so short and cohesive. But what the fuck
was he thinking with against the Day? What I really want is validation for
hating the book.