what to read next that isn't pynchon

[Richard Ryan]

Given Coetzee's themes of paranoia, alienation, and repression,
combined with his propensities for social and historical research, I'd
venture that "The Master of Petersburg"
would have more than its share of Pynchonian resonances (he doesn't
seem to share Pynchon's obsession with the social implications of
technology).   It would also give us a chance to bat Dostoevsky and 19th century Russian nihilism back and forth a bit.

Since
I bailed on my AtD assignment it would appear that I owe the group a
moderation session, and I'd be willing to launch the Coetzee symposium
once the AtD reading wraps up.  TMoP is a bit more than 250 pages so it
shouldn't take too long to get through.  Maybe 50 pages a week with
5-10 moderators (depending how many people are interested) for a five
week session, whilst the hardcore Pynchonites regroup for V or
Vineland?  Objections?  Ratifications?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._Coetzee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_of_Petersburg

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Petersburg-J-M-Coetzee/dp/0140238107

--- On Sun, 8/3/08, grladams at teleport.com <grladams at teleport.com> wrote:
From: grladams at teleport.com <grladams at teleport.com>
Subject: Re: what to read next that isn't pynchon
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 1:38 PM

Coetzee, yeah, I am ashamed to say I haven't read any of his works yet and
would welcome that idea 

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Lawrence Bryan lebryan at speakeasy.net
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2008 17:22:15 -0700
To: braam.vanbruggen at bigpond.com, pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: what to read next that isn't pynchon



Hmmmm.... Is that three votes for Coetzee??? <smile>

Lawrence

On Aug 2, 2008, at 3:31 PM, braam van bruggen wrote:

> I liked those first two the most, and "Waiting for the
Barbarians"
> They had an immediacy, a vividness, that I thought his later, more
> introspective work lacked. In fact, I read "Elizabeth Costello"
twice
> because it did so little for me that I completely forgot that I had
> read it already, and grew more and more annoyed as it became  
> increasingly familiar. It's probably early onset dementia.
>
> Braam
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lawrence Bryan"
<lebryan at speakeasy.net 
> >
> To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:40 AM
> Subject: Re: what to read next that isn't pynchon
>
>
>> What about a shorter book, perhaps one of Coetzee's little gems? I
  
>> just bought "Slow Man", but any of the others would be fine.
Given  
>> the  literary level of the list, a reading of "The Master of  
>> Petersburg"  might be interesting or we could read one of his
early  
>> novels and one  of his latest as a comparison of changing style and  
>> politics. No, I am  not writing a paper on Coetzee and looking for  
>> help. <smile> I haven't  read either of his first two,
"Dusklands"   
>> or "In the Heart of the  Country".
>> Lawrence
>>
>


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