Readux

[Robin Landseadel]

On May 11, 2010, at 6:28 AM, Carvill, John wrote:

> . . . Actual official 'Group reads' have a tendency to lose  
> momentum, peter out, succumb to entropy etc. So an *intentionally*  
> chaotic general Pynchon read 'n' write would surely flounder early?  
> In any case, isn't 'read about Pynchon then email the list about it'  
> pretty much what goes on here anyway?
>
> That said, I agree with the comments regarding 'Against the Day'  
> being worthy of more exploration.
>
> Cheers
> J

I suspect Inherent Vice left us all at loose ends. Certainly, the  
buildup and starting chapters of IVIV were full of heat, light, a  
little smoke and the ghosts of Howard Hughes, Vivian Stanshall and  
Raymond Chandler. But the group read had a high level of attrition as  
well as a high level of contention. After all is said and done, group  
readings are a lot of work for little payoff. I'm sure Alice will  
continue to point to Hawthorne and Melville without a book to hang on  
to, I'll continue to point to the CIA and KRLA—it's not as if there is  
some group goal, some clear endpoint for the p-list. I've got plenty  
of time on my hands these days but pretty much feel like "when there  
is nothing to do, do nothing." Right now I feel like I'd be better off  
reading someone else.