Pynchons Problem

[rich]

apologies, Elaine Blair not Bell

On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 11:40 AM, rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com> wrote:

> the review is by Elaine Bell from the NY Review of Books about the latest
> novel by Houellbec. there is no relation to Pynchon in the review except my
> own feeling that Pynchon's work, in particular AtD, exhibited similar
> tendencies about some perceived (on my part) overcompensation by Pynchon in
> the portrayal of his women in that book thereby in my opinion making them
> even blander non-entities.
>
> rich
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 11:31 AM, Paul Mackin <mackin.paul at verizon.net>wrote:
>
>> 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.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
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