More on IV

[rich]

I guess what is also different about this book is that Pynchon's
vision here is so,, well pinched, a more narrow focus.

That is the author's choice which may be looked upon as being
frightfully logical after the mammoth omnivorous AtD but it is what it
is.

Sportello is great but I didn't find anyone else really that interesting

I also feel that Pynchon has covered this ground already. (the bigger
picture I'm talking about here--the Nixon vibe has worn out its
welcome, no?)

moreover, my major criticism I think is that Pynchon is doing a whole
lot of telling and not showing in this book (for a book about people
doing lots of drugs, the trippiness of the prose (so to speak) is
rather tame); there's very little poetry (some of it very good
admittedly--the brief extended musings on fog, headlights/rearlights
on the freeway, etc.)

I don't believe you can look at IV on any level beyond satire--there's
not enough joint compound to go around

and finally, the book seems so obvious, a dinosaur, a relic (which has
its uses admittedly). This is the first time reading a new Pynchon
work where I wasn't surprised or shown something unique. The book,
finally, could've been written by Matt Ruff or anyone one of those
hundreds of writers Pynchon has influenced and that to me is kinda sad

Rich

p.s. If it brings more readers to his work (and I hope it does), more
power to him