Hello, all

[David Casseres]

¡Bienvenido!  And I envy you the adventure of taking on all of Pynchon (so
far) in one great feast.

On 3/6/07, Daniel Harper <daniel_harper at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> I've been reading this list for a few weeks now, but never really got the
> chance to add to the conversation. I work in a bookstore, and discovered
> Pynchon when ATD was released -- the store lets me check out books as if
> from
> a library, and I decided to give it a try. A hundred or so pages in, and I
> was hooked -- I bought the book, and finished it about six weeks ago. Now
> I'm
> going through all of Pynchon's other works. I've read COL49, and am
> currently
> working my way through Vineland. (After ATD I wanted to try his shorter
> works.)
>
> Sometimes it's the most obvious thing that blindsides you, especially with
> Pynchon. I'm most of the way finished with Vineland, and read this:
>
> "Hector knew the classic chill, the extra receptors up and humming,
> gathering
> in the signs, channels suddenly shutting down, traffic scrambled and
> jammed,
> phone trouble, faces in lobbies warning you that you don't know them.
> Could
> it be that some silly-ass national-emergency exercise was  finally coming
> true? As if the Tube were suddenly to stop showing pictures and instead
> announce, "From now on, I'm watching you." (p 340, Penguin mass-market
> paperback)
>
> ...And suddenly I stop and go, "Oh, right, the book takes place in
> _1984_...."
> An obvious reference, that subtly changes the entire tenor of the book,
> that
> I just entirely missed until that moment. I'll go stick my nose in the
> corner
> for awhile now. <laughs>
> --
> No reference to the present day is intended or should be inferred.
> --Daniel Harper
>
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