VL-IV or Vineland, the slow drip read. PP. 56 ff

[Robin Landseadel]

On Dec 29, 2008, at 7:09 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:

> My hosting, as is my wont, will be many short posts. I hope this  
> does not overly annoy anyone who just wants to delete my posts
> in the speediest fashion and wishes there were fewer! Smile if you  
> haven't deleted this yet.

I find that single points in a posting lends to greater focus.

> . . . his associative poetic patterns pervade every work . . .

Yep, and this is the first time I've read Vineland since immersing  
myself in Against the Day.

The larger connections between Vineland and Against the day can be  
found in the concept of Karma.

> . . . he had all the time he needed to make Vineland be EXACTLY what  
> he wanted it to be in every line, is another working premise of mine."

I've been flipping back and forth between mirrored sections of Vineland 
—like from page 85 to page 300*, looking for self-similarity &  
poetically rhymed themes. If the theme here is Karma, then we need to  
give the plot resolutions a closer look. Many of the themes of  
Vineland are painted on a far bigger canvas in Against the Day, where  
the Buddhist theme is explored in far greater depth.

* Frenesi is about to find out that the check isn't about to clear on  
85,  Zoyd finds out that Brock [more likely Brock's higher-ups] will  
allow Zoyd to keep Prairie on 300. There's 385 pages in Vineland and a  
very jazzy repetition of themes throughout the book.