Bleeding Edge - A Rolling Assessment

[John Bailey]

I vastly prefer BE to IV, but am very aware that it's not due to any,
er, inherent virtues or vices in either. That's why this thread is
interesting, bringing out personal biases.

I simply have no reference points for IV. Wasn't born at the time it's
set, have no real knowledge of California in the 70s, no connection to
the kinds of characters on display, or even the music, the ways of
speaking and thinking...

Surely that's important given that IV doesn't (imo) have any of the
metaphysical, world-historical or speculative content of P's Big
Books.

Whereas the era and setting of BE is utterly ingrained in me, and I
can laugh out loud at the very inclusion of Jamiroquai or the Rachel
haircut. Late 90s/early 00s culture here on the other side of the
world was saturated with competing depictions of New York culture, so
I've got plenty to draw on there. No idea whether it's accurate or
simulacrum, but I get it at least... and while it's still not a Big
Book, I'm finding lots of opportunities to join the dots across the
novel, and hints at the kinds of ideas you find in the others, just
sublimated beneath all of the surface energy.

On Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 11:01 AM, Rev'd Seventy-Six <revd.76 at gmail.com> wrote:
> @ ch. 19, meself. Enjoying the patter more in BE than IV, finding it
> to be more natural...
>
> My sole P.eeve is the needless Bond namedrop. I count five, thus far,
> and they're all completely beside the point, esp. as cultural
> touchstones. Maxine doesn't seem like a fan, so why push the
> reference? Wasn't Bond on hiatus around 2000--1?
>
> On t'other hand, I found the Daikatana and Darkeden shoutouts amusing
> & educational, so guess it evens out...
>
> --
> http://posthistoricpress.blogspot.com/