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[Ian Livingston]

Interesting you should so effectually introduce my two favorite recent
reads. The Count of Monte Cristo must have been a read Pynchon much enjoyed
at some time. There are no direct allusions that I find on casual
reflection, but the sentiment is abundantly echoed in Pynchon's jibes at
capitalism and it's would-be nobles. Also, Spinoza comments in brief but
rich terms on the affects and how the appetites affect the choices we make
day-to-day and in the course of our commitments to vocation, and so on. The
Ethics is a quick read loaded with juice. I can easily see it as a possible
source, or at least a profound influence for Mr. P's characters, not to
mention the "soul in every stone" angle.

On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 7:47 PM, Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com
> wrote:

> i guess depraved tastes aren't contrary to human inclinations either,
> as you said, Ian: remembering a long stretch of work days at the phone
> company when I had access to a health food store and its buffet on my
> lunch break but most often went to the taco viva (in my defense, it
> was right next to a newsstand where i could buy like Analog, Asimov's
> etc) -- and later in my career an even longer string of days where our
> lunch bunch - all of whom, probably, and myself certainly, would've
> been wiser to brown bag a nice sprout sandwich or some fruit, instead
> would go to for instance Bennigan's and get something like a Monte
> Cristo sandwich...decky-dance!
>
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