Disappointed

[Bekah]

I do the same thing with books I really like.   And I learned it at U  
as a history major;  go through once for the general outline of things  
then go back to fill in the specifics.    Now I find myself reading  
that way to get the basic plot out of the way,  reread for the themes,  
motifs, character development, etc.   If I don't think a book is worth  
it though I put it down after one reading.   There are those who say  
that the best reading is rereading.   (I think Nabokov said something  
like that.)

Bekah
http://web.mac.com/bekker2/

On Aug 10, 2009, at 5:07 PM, Page wrote:

> During my university days (philosophy student), I discovered the  
> value of reading through a text at speed. No stopping to look up  
> words; no stopping for any reason. Then I would give the assignment  
> or book a slow, thorough reading. The first read through helped  
> considerably.
>
> I use the same method to heighten my understanding of complex  
> writers like OBA.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Livingston" <igrlivingston at gmail.com 
> >
> To: "Toby Levy" <tobyglevy at gmail.com>
> Cc: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 6:59 AM
> Subject: Re: Disappointed
>
>
>> A rapid read of Pynchon must always be disappointing, imho.  There is
>> so much one skims over, reading the plot and skimming the allusions.
>> Kind of like reading Murakami without an understanding of Japanese
>> culture, we enjoy the story but don't really *get* it.  It may be  
>> that
>> at some level TRP is aping Robbins' light reads, but there is more.
>> Always more.  I look forward to a deep read but, as I dive into the
>> semester ahead, I expect to be too busy to follow the group read this
>> time.  Have to be a lurker....
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 8:28 AM, Toby Levy<tobyglevy at gmail.com>  
>> wrote:
>>> I finished Inherent Vice yesterday and I'm not going to pretend I  
>>> wasn't
>>> disappointed.
>>>
>>> I found it to be like a Tom Robbins novel. Not that there's  
>>> anything wrong
>>> with that, but I expected more, I expected better.
>>>
>>> I will say that the first reading of a Pynchon novel is not the  
>>> end of the
>>> evaluation process for me. I remember the shock of disappointment  
>>> I felt
>>> when I first finished Vineland, and I have come to greatly  
>>> appreciate the
>>> book now that I've read it three or four times.
>>>
>>> Vineland suffered following a masterpiece like Gravity's Rainbow,  
>>> and IV
>>> suffers from following Against the Day, which is an incredible  
>>> book, a work
>>> of genius IMHO.
>>>
>>> Toby
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
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