Pynchons Problem

[Paul Mackin]

On 3/12/2012 10:03 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
> I think, and I've said it before, that Pynchon's whole oeuvre values
> women, as idea, as their qualities [of Womanhood] [largely missing] in
> society, history
> as without which we don't get real tenderness, family picnics, family
> values and children.......
> In AtD he gives us defiantly "liberated" Lake....[so much more to say
> here] and.....
> aggressively 'advanced'--within her male maths world---Yashmeen.
> Remember Kit shrinking
> under her verbal retorts?........

Wow, a whole bunch of responses to this thread.

But I missed something: what is the origin of Rich's quote? I just read 
the  review of Houellebecq's novel and received no clues.  Maybe I 
hurried through it too fast. Who was Rich quoting and what has it to do 
the the NYRB piece? Or, Pynchon? My bad, no doubt.

P


>
> *From:* Bled Welder <bledwelder at hotmail.com>
> *To:* markekohut at yahoo.com; alicewellintown at gmail.com; pynchon-l at waste.org
> *Sent:* Monday, March 12, 2012 8:38 AM
> *Subject:* RE: Pynchons Problem
>
> There are feminist interpretations of Gravity's? Huh! Now I must rreally
> be missing something.
>
> Feminist, as in, what is a feminist interpretation of a novel, showing
> how the characters and viewpoints are enlightened about female equality?
> That's it basically?
>
> Gravity's Rainbow? Gosh that's sad. What's the opposite of feminist?
> Misogynist? That would be closer. From concept to detail--
>
> This will be fun. What are some like professional essays on the feminism
> of Gravity's that I might link to?
>
>
> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 05:14:19 -0700
> From: markekohut at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: Pynchons Problem
> To: alicewellintown at gmail.com; pynchon-l at waste.org
>
> Alice,
> stuff to argue with here but I will choose to say that AtD has P's
> fullest presenation
> of his ideas about women. And womanhood.
> And, one can't forget The White Goddess.
>
> *From:* alice wellintown <alicewellintown at gmail.com>
> *To:* pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> *Sent:* Monday, March 12, 2012 6:26 AM
> *Subject:* Re: Pynchons Problem
>
> In its self-deprecating humorous reflections, the Slow Learner
> Introduction admits that Pynchon was, like most American males (so
> Pynchon sez), an immature jackass and that his characters were
> invested with his chauvinistic attitudes. While I admire the feminist
> readings of GR, the feminism found there belongs to the critics and
> not the author. The author turns with VL. And his turn is awkward.
> Inherent Vice seems a novel written to appease Pynchon's wife and her
> feminist friends. AGtD, however, is a parody of his earlier turn and
> takes some revenge on his foolish surrender to the feminists.
>
>
>
>