TRP's 20 worst sentences

Paul Mackin mackin.paul at verizon.net
Sun Sep 20 09:58:13 CDT 2009


Keith wrote:
> The confusion in the wording of those sentences was indeed discussed 
> in typical obsessive P-list fashion. I have no problem at all with the 
> point I think TRP was making in that section. It matches my biases 
> precisely. But the awkwardness and confusion of the wording of those 
> sentences is actually quite typical of Pynchon's non-fiction writing. 
> Most of us agree with him, and know what he is trying to say, so we 
> lose our critical perspective on how awkwardly he writes in these 
> instances. It has nothing to do with using verbs wrongly. A visit to 
> the archives will illustrate the matter just fine. Perhaps I should 
> not be surprised that you resort to "and you know that" in your 
> argument, but I am. Good Lord.
>
> On Sep 19, 2009, at 9:21 PM, Otto wrote:
>
> That's not true, Keith, and you know that.
>
> We've discussed the "content", the "politics" in those four sentences,
> but never the grammar. I can't find verbs used wrongly.
>
>
>
Pynchon seemed to be trying to outdo Joyce.

"His (Stephen's) mind was not exactly what you would expect to call 
wandering but a bit unsteady and on his expressed desire for some 
beverage to  drink Mr Bloom, in view of the hour it was and there being 
no pumps of Vatry water available for their ablutions, let alone 
drinking purposes, hit upon an expedient by suggesting, off the reel, 
the propriety of the cabman's shelter, as it was called, hardly a 
stone's throw away near Butt Bridge, where they might hit upon some 
drinkables in the shape of a milk and soda or a mineral."

Ulysses, p. 613
 




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