V-2nd - 4?

[Mark Kohut]

nice connections, Laura.....

I read Esther Gets a Nose Job in a story collection called, I believe, Black 
Humor (of the sixties). I thought it was all about sex, as I did 

about many things then. Esp sex. 

Anyway, I have often wondered, without checking, whether it was reprinted the 
same as in the novel. I presume it was (unless it, too, was 

published separately first.)

Mark



----- Original Message ----
From: "kelber at mindspring.com" <kelber at mindspring.com>
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 12:26:17 PM
Subject: V-2nd - 4?

This week, and next, we're supposed to be discussing Chapter 4 (Esther's nose 
job).  Dave Monroe had mentioned he might repost his notes from the last group 
read, hopefully inciting new comments.  Dave?  Or we can all just pitch in with 
our thoughts.

Nose job anecdote:  One of my Jewish friends who'd had a nose job once pointed 
out a woman to me and said:  "I know that nose.  That's Dr. [somebody's] work.  
I've seen that nose all over Long Island."

This chapter was my own introduction to Pynchon.  A guy I was sweet on freshman 
year was taking a "Gothic Lit" class, and this chapter was one of the readings.  
He told me and my roommates it was fantastic, and one of my roommates (an 
aspiring actress) read it out loud to us.  I had to read the rest of the novel 
after that.

Is the nose job sequence an example of gothic horror?  Not sure about the genre 
requirements.  Alice?

Laura