Another way to categorize TRPs oeuvre

[David Patty]

He -nearly- took advantage of the situation--  in the guise of mean Benny
Sfacim  --but things got cut short by a brawl.  Point of fact, the only time
Benny ever scores is with Rachel...  Which, I felt, was as it should be,
until Benny reverted to type and did his emotional yo-yo.  *Whadda
schlemiel!*

Analysis aside, I found myself getting semi-attached to most of the ciphers
in the Crew, the way you do with friends-of-friends &
off-to-the-side-acquaintances; I wound up little invested in who got along
with who.  I didn't expect that.  There is, as Pynchon asserts, something
about seeing young couples getting together...  even the fictional ones.
Felt bad for McClintic that things didn't work out with Ruby / Paola, same
as I thought Benny was being a selfish dick with Rachel.  To say nothing of
poor, confused Fina...

Speaking of 'V.', anybody have any thoughts on the parallel between the
Malta-born Paola disguising herself as Ruby, same way Victoria Wren kitted
herself out in new identities every other chapter?  Esp. seeing as how it's
hinted that Paola was one of the kids who helped 'disassemble' V. (hence her
possession of the comb).  That aspect's been nagging at me...

-D
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