Rocketmen and Wastelands

[Carvill John]

Just finished reading it myself. Agree that he doesn't seem to be having any 
(never mind much) fun, nor does he mention how much fun Pynchn is. He sticks 
to the pomo/theoretical side which is my least favourite aspect of Pynchon. 
Then again, he could hardly leave all that stuff out, especially in an 
academic paper. Someone should write a thesis on fun in Pynchon. But he also 
doesn't mention the wonderful poetic prose, astonishing imagery and 
inventiveness, etc.



> > > an award-winning essay on Pynchon's first 3 novels by Marshall
> > > Shord. Anybody read it yet? Thoughts?
> >
> > Just saw it the other day myself, and -- while I didn't think the time
> > wasted --
> > didn't think highly of it. Serviceable but flat-footed prose: "Oedipa
> > takes advantage of the system in order to gain a sense of personal 
>meaning
> > in a
> > dehumanized society. It is imperfect really, but it demonstrates an
> > ingenuity and a sense
> > of bravery to exist within a system but not submit to it that is not 
>found
> > in any of
> > Pynchon's other characters."
> >
> > He makes all the dutiful connections to Norman O. Brown, Marcuse, 
>McLuhan,
> > mechanization/de-animation, systems taking over, etc. But he doesn't 
>seem
> > to be having any fun, or to be alive to how much fun TRP is having.
> >
> > It's the Battle of The Big Themes, too quick to look through -- past --
> > what's on the page and in the reader's experience of it to get to the
> > cultural commentary. Cf.Nabokov's remark in the interview: " I believe 
>in
> > stressing the specific detail; the general ideas can take care of
> > themselves."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >

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