An Early work by Thomas Pynchon

[David Payne]

Ha! Certainly not the first time Pynchon was accused of writing text "with ornate language and no characterization"!
 
But you didn't hear those words from me--I think it's a a d*mn fine introduction to a chemistry text. Rare, I suspect, in its consideration of etymology & history. Though I probably won't cozy up in bed with it anytime soon, compare Pynchon's intro to:
 
"This manual is intended as a systematic exponent of the general truths of Chemistry. It is written solely for the pupils, assistants, and principals engaged in medicine and pharmacy. The volume will be found equally useful as a reading-book for gentlemen having no opportunities of attending lectures or performing experiments, and as a handbook for college pupils; while its comprehensive Index, containing five thousand references, will fit the work for consultation in the course of business or professional practice."
 
or 
 
"In publishing the Science Primers on Chemistry and Physics, the object of the Authors has been to state the fundamental principles of their sciences in a manner suited to pupils of an early age. They feel that the thing to be aimed at is, not so much to give information, as to endeavor to discipline the mind…"
 
or
 
"Analytical Chemistry covers all those operations which are performed in order to determine the constituents of a chemical compound (or a mixture of chemical compounds). Analytical Chemistry..." (These quotes are listed in order of the first few results on Google Books, searching for "Chemistry" limited to full text availability.)



> Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 20:25:20 -0800> From: richardryannyc at yahoo.com> Subject: RE: An Early work by Thomas Pynchon> To: pynchon-l at waste.org> > You mean with ornate language and no characterization?> Um....> > --- David Payne <dpayne1912 at hotmail.com> wrote:> > > Zowee! How many Chemistry textbooks start with> > something like this?!?:> > > > "The name Chemistry, is said to be derived from the> > Arabic word Kimia, something hidden or concealed,> > and from this, to have been converted into Xyueia*,> > a word first used by the Greeks about the eleventh> > century, and meaning the art of making gold and> > silver. Between the fifth century and the taking of> > Constantinople in the fifteenth century, says Dr.> > Thomson, in his History of Chemistry, the Greeks> > believed in the possibility of making god and silver> > artificially; and the art which professed to teach> > the processes was called by them, Chemistry. This> > idea, however, has long since been thoroughly> > discarded, and is now no longer heard of."*My note> > (er, "my" as in "me"--that is, Dave): This word was> > written in Greek, so I couldn't quite type it out> > correctly.> > > > > > > > > From: robinlandseadel at comcast.net> To:> > pynchon-l at waste.org> Subject: An Early work by> > Thomas Pynchon> Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 22:39:59> > +0000> > Introduction to Chemical Physics> Designed> > for the use of > Academies, High Schools and> > Colleges>> > ------------------------------------------------->> > By Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, M. A.,> >> > http://tinyurl.com/28l62z> > The link goes to the> > whole book, I haven'y even looked inside yet.. But> > I've got > plenty of reason to believe I'm gonna> > find something in here. . . .> >> _________________________________________________________________> > Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: > > the word scramble challenge with star power.> >> http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct> 
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