Does the Broken Estate Have a Heart

[Spencer Thompson]

I've always thought the 'Pynchon don't do character' line was a load of
tosh. I'd go as far as to say the primary reason I read the guy is because
I empathise so strongly with his characters.
I think there maybe some kind of 'Chekovian' element at work in Pynchon, a
kind of emotional constipation which means the characters aren't shouting
about their feelings all the time, but the awkward silences and
conversations, the way they physically react and then how this dovetails
into plot developments tend to give me a good indication of their emotional
response. Sort of like an episode of 'The Office'.
AGtD was, for me, best when I could compare and contrast the reactions of
the Traverse kids, like in the great scene near the beginning when Webb
introduces them one-by-one to dynamite. What a great way of delineating,
drawing lines in the sand, and setting up the arc of each.
My two sestersi