Re: IVIV: chapter seven—Eel Trovatore

[malignd at aol.com]

Well I am not--nor I suspect are most others on this list--"young" 
critics of TRP.  Many, if not most of us, have been reading him for 
many years, decades even.   And, in any case, the criticism is not just 
against what I clearly think is not very good writing, but--and here I 
get astride my hobby horse--the knee-jerk response to whatever he 
writes as brilliant.

<< it's hard to imagine anyone more brilliantly acidic than this 
waitress.>>

This doesn't strike you as overstatement?

It reminds me of young music critics writing about Dylan as though he 
needed their approval and they have a few good pointers for him. It 
just sounds stupid. 


-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net>
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Wed, Sep 23, 2009 3:56 pm
Subject: Re: IVIV: chapter seven—Eel Trovatore







On Sep 23, 2009, at 1:13 PM, Ray Easton wrote: 
 

> Robin Landseadel wrote: 

>> What appalls me about these critics is that they are placing >> 
themselves above the author 

> 

> Any new work by a great writer deserves serious and thoughtful > 
consideration.  A "good reader" should strive to understand the > work 
on its own terms, rather than immediately rejecting it because > he 
cannot "connect to" or comprehend it.  A "good reader" should > indeed 
suspend judgment, but does not mean that he should simply > abando
n 
judgment altogether.  If it's a bad thing to place oneself > above the 
author, it is equally certain that it's a bad thing to > place oneself 
below the author, and is a sort of idolatry that > seems particularly 
inappropriate when applied to a writer with > TRP's (apparent) views. 

> 

> Ray 

> / 

> / 

I agree that idolatry is inappropriate but if an author has gained a 
reader's respect and if the critical and popular response and 
understanding has frequently lagged behind the publication of the work, 
then a bit more care is in order.  As Picasso or some smartass said, 
the good art judges us. I do agree with Robin that placing yourself as 
a book critic above Pynchon is careless and often appalling. It reminds 
me of young music critics writing about Dylan as though he needed their 
approval and they have a few good pointers for him. It just sounds 
stupid. 
 

By the way, back to the Eel Travatore,  I just read a chapter on 
detoxification in a book called Diet for a Poisoned Planet.  The author 
grew up fishing and eating fish off Santa Monica until he read a study 
in the 80s showing LA fish eaters had highly elevated levels of DDT and 
PCB's in their blood. The author had himself tested and was in the same 
boat . So the waitress Chlorinda was offering a sound warning that 
informed L.A. readers may take more literally than met
aphorically. ( 
Detox involves  niacin, utraviolet and sauna which the globe is abou to 
try) 
 

I  think Pynchon is exploring the collective tribal roots of the 
ecological assault on the planet. What draws people into these nasty 
arrangements?, where will resistance come from? 

Modern  Tribes-    cops 

               military 

               stewardii and Jet Setters 

               surfers ( I would extend this to climbers, hikers, 
sailors, kayakers, environmentalists) 

               stoners ( which concludes the 3 s es) 

               dentists( god knows what this stands for but extreme 
interrogation comes to mind) 

               musicians 

               realtors 

               insurance and banking 

               bikers and thugs for hire 

               spies and agents 

               lawyers 

On board were the 12: cops and stewardii, stoners bankers and realtors. 
They were the Gods of yore though Gods they were... 

Way down, way doooooown Below the Ocean, Where I want to be and she 
made me.