A few thoughts on Chandler's burgher

[Doug Millison]

Paul, many thanks for your post.  I've been responding *personally* to  
Marlowe and the milieu Chandler's novels, rather than making an  
attempt at the more detailed and grounded critique you offer for  
consideration. I don't understand the need that others may have to  
dismiss your points so readily in our literary discussion here, too  
bad for them.

No matter how much of a genius Chandler may have been -- or Pynchon,  
for that matter - no artist is equipped to escape his or her own  
cultural context, no matter how well they might illuminate it in a  
work of art.  Pynchon finds himself lamenting, later in life, for  
example, the way he served as a medium for some attitudes and  
approaches in his early work, that he would choose to avoid now.  IV  
can throw more light on those remarks in the Slow Learner Intro,  
representing as the new novel seems to do yet another effort on  
Pynchon's part to come to grips with the 60s and himself in the 60s.

Looking forward to hearing more from Robin on that score - no  
substitute for the hard WORK of close reading and research he - and  
Dave Monroe and others - do for us.