Back from the beach

[Carvill, John]

Wholeheartedly agree with Heikki's comments. 'On its own terms' is a
phrase I've often used when thinking about IV.

> IMO, as a work of art, it's clearly more successful than AtD and VL.
Its ambitions and realization seem much more in balance.

Certainly agree with the second sentence. What IV sets out to achieve,
and what it ultimately does achieve, are much closer together than they
are in the case of VL or ATD. Whetehr IV is mores successful 'as a work
of art' is of course a much bigger question, calling for a much broader
debate. But yeah, IV comes across as a perfectly realised little gem. 

I still cleave to the hope (and in fact, the belief) that ATD will be
revalued as the years pass. I know some of us hard-core Pynchonnistas
didn't much care for it - and there were time where I personally got
frustrated with it - but overall I still count it as a work of genius.

Cheers
JC