ATD Spoilers

[Tore Rye Andersen]

>Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 02:53:34 +0000
>From: robinlandseadel at comcast.net
>Subject: Re: ATD Spoilers

Yeah, I also intend to study every scrap of information I can get my hands 
on before publication. Pynchon's novels aren't really about 'whodunit' - not 
for me, anyway. Reading Pynchon for me is all about savouring the prose, 
page by page, sentence by sentence, while trying to detect larger structural 
and thematic patterns. It's about trying to keep the local and global 
details in my head all at once, enjoying the beauty and complexity of it 
all. And a spoiler or two won't detract from that pleasure.

However, I can certainly understand and respect the p-listers who wish their 
first encounter with AtD to be as virginal as possible. As publication 
approaches, however, and as more and more information becomes available, 
this becomes more and more difficult to achieve, and it becomes more and 
more difficult to discuss the novel without what some might see as spoilers. 
I don't consider a photo of the cover, information about the epigraph, a 
couple of sentences from the first page, etc. to be spoilers. For me, 
they're just alluring appetizers which intensify the sweet agony of waiting 
for publication, but they apparently spoil the pleasures for others, and I 
will of course respect that.

It does constitute a problem, though, that one reader's interesting tidbit 
can be another reader's spoiler, and it seems rather difficult to agree on 
what exactly is allowed, here. Might I suggest the relatively simple 
expedient that any AtD-related post includes "AtD" in the subject line? (I 
think Doug suggested this already). Those readers who don't like spoilers of 
any kind can simply avoid these posts, then, and the rest of us can 
speculate and discuss and guess all we like, without worrying that our 
innocent musings will spoil the pleasure for others.



>As if anyone gave a rat's ass, but I'll be perusing any scantily clad bits 
>of the Novel that manage to sashay my way.  (Just read what appears to be 
>the first page).This is indeed a unique opportunity: to be teased, to be 
>forestalled and to take time to carefully scrye any tidbits that manifest 
>themselves online. It's not as though I have the intention of blurting out 
>plot elements (or much of anything else, really) once the object is in my 
>hands. But this is a unique time. I have been thoroughly absorbed by 
>everything II've read so far concerning "Against The Day".
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
>From: "davemarc" <davemarc at panix.com>
> > If you happen to be among the subscribers who'd appreciate some sort of
> > spoiler protocol, please let your feelings be known now.
> >
> > I happen to have a copy of the book myself, but I'd still prefer to see 
>the
> > spoiler warnings used to help me have as fresh a reading as 
>possible--it's a
> > unique opportunity. Speaking for myself: I doubt I'll post opinions 
>about
> > the book here until the pub date at the earliest--and I certainly won't 
>do
> > so without spoiler warnings.
> >
> > I don't intend to come across as bossy about this. It's just that I was
> > pretty satisfied with the M&D situation--and I appreciated the efforts 
>of
> > folks who complied with the spoiler protocol even when they didn't care 
>much
> > about it. I'd like to see something like that again. I thought there 
>were
> > numerous others here who had similar feelings.
> >
> > Just my two cents,
> >
> > d.
> >

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