James goes to the dogs

[Robert Mahnke]

At the risk of having someone take me for a James Wood sock, I hope that all
that lit crit theory stuff isn't strictly for lit crits, since I find that
good literary criticism helps me understand how fiction works better and
enjoy it more.  The difference between hysterical realism (a term that does
sound derogatory to me) and the realisms of, say George Eliot or Henry
James, is pretty apparent, but others are better at articulating it than I
am.  You can take Pynchon apart without deciding that he doesn't work, as
others have often shown on this here list.  (Unfortunately, sometimes those
exchanges degenerate into contests to prove who loves OBA the mostest.  If
that's the game, I'll be Cordelia, and others can play Regan and Goneril.)

On 7/23/09, Carvill, John <john.carvill at sap.com> wrote:
>
> Well, isn't 'Hysterical realism' sort of an unavoidably derogatory term?
> Hysterical?
>
> All that lit crit theory stuff is strictly for lit crits. We dig Pynchon
> because of the beauty and poetry and rhythm of his prose, his humour and
> heart, his fuelling our sense of wonder and, as someone once said of
> someone completely different, his ability to sharpen our sense of being
> alive. We feel simpatico with a lot of his attitudes, political and
> social sensibilities, keep cool but care etc. We like all the
> rersonances and references and outright weirdness, the way he's always
> pulling all these unexpected rabbits out of his hat.... We like some of
> that postmodern stuff, fer sure, but it ain't the whole deal, I'd
> venture to suggest, for too many of us. And some of us could care less
> for pomo this or deconstructivist that or realist the other. We read
> Pynchon because we enjoy him. He has a special, unique quality that you
> just don't get from yer Roths, Bellows, and sure as shit not from your
> Updikes, etc. The discrepency between the sum of a writer's parts, and
> his whole, is a lot bigger in Pynchon's case than any other. Taking him
> apart to decide that he doesn't work is a self-defeating impulse.
>
> Bah!
>
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