TRTR - ch 1 afterthought - Lives of Saints? / bull

[Mark Kohut]

Michael B. writes:
"and also for some reason reminds me of the scene in Brideshead
Revisited where the unsympathetic dad is talking (and, I think,
refusing further funding) to the son who's home for a visit from
Oxford, about how if he doesn't watch it, he'll "come a cropper"
"your cousin x came a cropper - and he had to move to Australia" "

I don't remember this scene but your bringing Waugh up does make
me feel some of the satire does remind of o'ertopped Waugh...
That is like Waugh often carried to comic, ridiculous, irreal extremes.

Which is, i guess, what comic writers of high talent have in common?




----- Original Message ----
From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
To: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Fri, April 22, 2011 2:18:41 AM
Subject: Re: TRTR - ch 1 afterthought - Lives of Saints? / bull

Jed Kelestron wrote:
> http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/Mithraism.html
>

cool site!

hints have come to my ears that we haven't heard the end of the bull
theme either


just in a narrow sense, though, dramatically, novelistically, in human
interest's interest, it's easy to picture the introverted pastor so
highly impressed by seeing one bullfight, and using that at the least
opportune moment imaginable for trying to make encouraging
conversation with his son
- so that it really sounds more like the old guy is comparing his son
to the bull, and, well, the scene comes alive for me and it's both
funny because so inappropriate, and sad because the kid doesn't seem
to have a snappy comeback, or any comeback, and may actually be
allowing himself to think of himself that way...

and also for some reason reminds me of the scene in Brideshead
Revisited where the unsympathetic dad is talking (and, I think,
refusing further funding) to the son who's home for a visit from
Oxford, about how if he doesn't watch it, he'll "come a cropper"
"your cousin x came a cropper - and he had to move to Australia"