The Wrecked Read. Chap 1 simple summary

[Richard Ryan]

As is well known, notions of originality and authenticity are
relatively recent (largely romantic) creations, connected to a larger
conception of the "Artist as a Hero".  There isn't any immediately
obvious reason why these notions should survive "the Age of Mechanical
Reproduction" - especially now that art has lost what Benjamin called
its aura.  It follows that there's also no compelling need for the
author or readers of TR to embrace the Good Imitation (craftsmanship
of the highest order) vs Bad Imitation (fraud, trickery) distinction -
even if its clear the characters are still caught up in this
opposition.  Where the book falls on these issues remains to be seen,
at least as far as I'm concerned.....

On Wed, Apr 20, 2011 at 11:34 AM, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net> wrote:
> On 4/19/2011 6:13 PM, Erik T. Burns wrote:
>
> just wait 'til we get to "the queer"
> something can be art, if fake.
> and also have value.
> the key is knowledge.
> and laughter.
> (slips bridle back on)
>
> In the central opposition of the book (I better stop calling it binary) "the
> queer" falls on the side of copying for fraud,  versus GOOD imitation--done
> to improve (advance) the product.
>
> There is nothing new under the sun.  (Ecclesiastes)
>
> Did Gaddis in some wise advance  the Faust legend?  Shakespeare Plutarch's
> Lives?
>
> Why couldn't Esme have found a suitable model? (she was her own model sui
> generis--and Wyatt's too)
>
> I realize this is all just obvious chit chat  but David is correct we need
> comic relief on the p-list.
>
>
>
> P
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 10:43 PM, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>>
>> On 4/19/2011 4:56 PM, David Morris wrote:
>>>
>>> "potency"
>>>
>>> On Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 3:55 PM, David Morris<fqmorris at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>>
>>>> In the first chapter the imitating/reusing of magic into mysticism
>>>> into religion is portrayed as a downward trend, losing petency with
>>>> each round.
>>
>> Yes, this is the central idea everyone talks about. I'm interested in how
>> the gospel of authenticity can  fall apart.
>>
>> Gaddis' apparent aversion for "the counterfeit" badly needs
>> deconstructing.  And gets it.
>>
>> Originality and authenticity in the novel can be truly ugly. The Americans
>> in Europe were authentic as all get out.  They never heard that  when in
>> Rome do as the Romans.  American's trying to absorb some European culture
>> would be a form of copying, imitating.  A good form. Also learning the
>> language might have saved Stanley.  At least how to read signs.
>>
>> Copying and reusing is GOOD
>>
>> P
>>
>
>
>



-- 
Richard Ryan
New York and the World
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