Well I just reread Vineland and the news is still bad...

[rich]

i think Pynchon alludes to this in his SL intro about buying his former self
a beer, etc.

the only examples I can think of about point #2 is godfather and godfather
pt. 2, french connection and french connection 2


On 6/13/07, MalignD at aol.com <MalignD at aol.com> wrote:
>
> <<  I think it just happens sometimes.   An exceptional author pens an incredible fiction, his magnum opus,  and nothing he can do later will ever top it - or even be equal.   And yet he will write because that's what he does,  that's who he is. >>
>
> I think this is entirely correct. You can't do "top this" forever.  Look at
> Dylan.  He talks about his younger self like it's some other person.
>
> Even statistically:  isn't there something called deviation from the mean
> that suggests that one masterpiece is unlikely to be followed by something of
> equal worth?
>
>
> **************************************
>  See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
>
>
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