Another failure to read AtD

[mike]

Like Joseph, I've also thought many of the reviewers didn't read the whole
book. They all give an overview which is curiously similar to the cover
blurb, by saying the story basically is a revenge tale of the Traverse boys.
I thought that bit of the story finished around page 400 (sure it does
continue, but I don't think it is the motif of the work). And then
complaining that there are too many characters and storylines - well what do
you expect from Pynchon? It's like complaining that Hemmingway'll be good
only if he uses bigger words and make sure his characters really top their
frequent flyer miles before the end of the novel. 

Further, GR is one of those novels that its easy to lie about reading, and
perhaps some of them are talking about the critical reception of the novel
not their reading experience. Like claiming to have read Ulyssues, it's easy
to bluff reading that novel because everyone is going to get something
different. Years ago there was some poll, I heard, that asked academics
which novel they claimed to have read, but never did. The poll was to find
the novel which most academics lied about reading. I would think GR, Moby
Dick, Ulysses, should be in it

Mike H


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¨Ò¡: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] ã¹¹ÒÁ¢Í§
Joseph T
揤: Saturday, 27 January 2007 2:31 PM
¶Ö§: pynchon-l at waste.org
àÃ×èͧ: Re: Another failure to read AtD

I really wonder how many of the reviewers who dismissed ATD for its   
juggling of story-lines,but praised GR actually read GR, which I  
found to be a much more challenging book than ATD. More difficult to  
keep track of the connections and interactions between the different  
story segments. There was a more intense directionality but it was  
also more subversive of the WW2 "good war"story and  
stranger ,darker , more directed toward our deepest fears, revulsions  
and idols.  I honestly think many reviewers have praised GR because  
it was so formidably reviewed rather than because they read,  
understood, and enjoyed it. Any other thoughts on this one.?

Further, I find the dismissive lack of seriousness among many  
reviewers of ATD to be missing the mark. I read much and have  
eclectic tastes but few books take on a deeply  evoked period of  
history, the science and mysticism of light and time,  the sad  
subjugation of an entire planet to the paradigm of control through  
war, and beauty of human resistance with such power,truthfulness,  
humor and skill.  The mystics tell us everything is connected ,  
Pynchon draws a diagram, a treasure map that reminds us where the  
secret waters come from, and where the skeletons are buried.