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New Pynchon novel on its way
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Rinox
Minor Diety
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:23 am Posts: 14892 Location: behind a good glass of Duvel
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New Pynchon novel on its way
W00tz0rs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060720/ap_ ... as_pynchon
| | | | Quote: New Thomas Pynchon novel is on the way By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer Thu Jul 20, 5:30 PM ET NEW YORK - Thomas Pynchon fans, the long wait is apparently over: His first novel in nearly a decade is coming out in December. But details, as with so much else about the mysterious author of such postmodern classics as "V." and "Gravity's Rainbow," have proved a puzzle. Since the 1997 release of "Mason & Dixon," a characteristically broad novel about the 18th-century British explorers, new writings by Pynchon have been limited to the occasional review or essay, such as his introduction for a reissue of George Orwell's "1984." He has, of course, made no media appearances or allowed himself to be photographed, not counting a pair of cameos in "The Simpsons," for which he is sketched in one episode with a bag over his head.
This much is known about the new book: It's called "Against the Day" and will be published by Penguin Press. It will run at least 900 pages and the author will not be going on a promotional tour.
"That will not be happening, no," Penguin publicist Tracy Locke told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Like J.D. Salinger (who at one point Pynchon was rumored to be), the 69-year-old Pynchon is the rare author who inspires fascination by not talking to the press. Alleged Pynchon sightings, like so many UFOs, have been common over the years, and his new book has inspired another round of Pynchon-ology on Slate and other Internet sites.
Late last week, the book's description — allegedly written by Pynchon — was posted on Amazon.com. It reads in part:
"Spanning the period between the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and the years just after World War I, this novel moves from the labor troubles in Colorado to turn-of-the-century New York, to London and Gottingen, Venice and Vienna, the Balkans, Central Asia, Siberia at the time of the mysterious Tunguska Event, Mexico during the Revolution, postwar Paris, silent-era Hollywood, and one or two places not strictly speaking on the map at all.
"With a worldwide disaster looming just a few years ahead, it is a time of unrestrained corporate greed, false religiosity, moronic fecklessness, and evil intent in high places. No reference to the present day is intended or should be inferred."
The description was soon pulled from the site, with Penguin denying any knowledge of its appearance. According to Amazon.com spokesman Sean Sundwall, Penguin requested the posting's removal "due to a late change in scheduling on their part. We expect the description to be reposted to the book's detail page in the next day or two."
Locke declined comment on why the description was taken down, but did reluctantly confirm two details provided by Sundwall, that the book is called "Against the Day" (no title is listed on Amazon.com) and that Pynchon indeed wrote the blurb, which warns of more confusion to come.
"Contrary-to-the-fact occurrences occur," Pynchon writes. "If it is not the world, it is what the world might be with a minor adjustment or two. According to some, this is one of the main purposes of fiction. Let the reader decide, let the reader beware. Good luck." | | | | |
Sounds mightily promising! Gonna be a bitch to understand again tho.
_________________ "I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm-a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse."
- Coach
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:16 pm |
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Arathorn
Minor Diety
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:23 am Posts: 3956 Location: Amsterdam
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Who the fuck is that?
_________________ Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:47 am |
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Rinox
Minor Diety
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:23 am Posts: 14892 Location: behind a good glass of Duvel
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Damn uncivilized engineer students.
Pynchon is the most important postmodernist writer...I'm usually not really into postmodernist stuff, but he is actually brilliant. His 'grand books' are true masterpieces where he blends historical facts with science, myth and religion, and plays with the modernist/postmodernist transition(s). He likes to throw in a lot of facts, or even substories that aren't necessarily linked but that suggest a lot....without ever saying it. At the end of one of his books you're often like 'so...what was the point? that there isn't a point?'. It's unusual to read a book that doesn't have a point, cos you're used to it.
Anyway, it's hard to explain. Suffice to say that Pynchon is a brilliant writer and a mysterious figure. He has never given an interview, and no one knows what he looks like (!). The most recent pictures of him are from his high school year book and of his time in the navy. That was close to 50 years ago. He did make an appearance in the simpsons a while ago, but his character was wearing a bag over his head, hehe. It's just amazing that a writer of his standing is a complete mystery to the public, and for that long. No pictures, interviews, anything. He doesn't write very fast either. A fascinating figure, but an amazingly talented writer for sure.
If you're up for a mindfuck, try picking up a copy of his first grand novel; V. You won't be disappointed, but reading it takes some perseverance and time.
From Wikipedia
| | | | Quote: Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. (born May 8, 1937) is an American writer based in New York City. He is noted for his dense and complex works of fiction. Born in Glen Cove, New York (on Long Island), Pynchon spent two years in the United States Navy and earned an English degree from Cornell University. After publishing several short stories in the late 1950s, he began composing the novels for which he is best known today: V. (1963), The Crying of Lot 49 (1966), Gravity's Rainbow (1973), Vineland (1990), and Mason & Dixon (1997). A new novel, entitled Against the Day, is to be published in December 2006.
Pynchon is regarded by many readers and critics as one of the finest contemporary authors. He is a MacArthur Fellow and a recipient of the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Both his fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, styles and themes, including (but not limited to) the fields of history, science and mathematics. Pynchon is also known for his avoidance of publicity: very few photographs of him have ever been published, and rumors about his location and identity have been circulated since the 1960s. | | | | |
_________________ "I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm-a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse."
- Coach
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Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:11 am |
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Arathorn
Minor Diety
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:23 am Posts: 3956 Location: Amsterdam
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FYI, I recently stopped my mechanical engineering studies. My new study will probably be something very alpha.
OK, I'll read that book sometime, but I have 1.5 book to complete soon, preferably within two weeks.
_________________ Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!
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Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:49 am |
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Rinox
Minor Diety
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:23 am Posts: 14892 Location: behind a good glass of Duvel
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Why did you quit? Not your thing after all? And I didn't get the alpha thing...the army?
_________________ "I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm-a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse."
- Coach
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Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:51 am |
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Arathorn
Minor Diety
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:23 am Posts: 3956 Location: Amsterdam
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Eh alpha, beta, prolly a Dutch thing. Over here we call the technical stuff beta studies, and the rest alpha. Actually, things like psygology is called gamma, and perhaps history too, but to me that's all the same. Anyway, I'm interested in almost everything, and mechanical engineering sounded like a challenge, but it didn't interest me enough to give me the discipline to really learn all the stuff. I'm thinking about starting European Studies in Amsterdam.
_________________ Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!
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Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:43 pm |
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Satis
Felix Rex
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2003 6:01 pm Posts: 16661 Location: On a slope
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I know what kind of studies I'd be pursuing in Amsterdam.
_________________ They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
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Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:44 pm |
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Arathorn
Minor Diety
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:23 am Posts: 3956 Location: Amsterdam
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You Yankees are all the same.
_________________ Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!
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Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:34 am |
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Rinox
Minor Diety
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:23 am Posts: 14892 Location: behind a good glass of Duvel
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Hehehe...what does European Studies entail though? Does that mean you're going for a post in the EU? Shake that ass and grab that cash!
_________________ "I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm-a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse."
- Coach
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Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:24 am |
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Arathorn
Minor Diety
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:23 am Posts: 3956 Location: Amsterdam
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It focusses a lot on European integration yes, but I have to take a secondary course too, I can take a modern language, history, economics and legal, but I'll probably choose history.
_________________ Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!
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Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:41 am |
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Rinox
Minor Diety
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 7:23 am Posts: 14892 Location: behind a good glass of Duvel
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Mm, cool. Well, history is awesome (I doubted for a while between Germanic languages, Romanic languages and History...7 years ago ) but if I were you I'd take a relatively rare language. Norwegian, Polish, Italian, Hugarian...whatever. From the little of job profile experience I have (I have many friends who have a lot tho) a language always gets you somewhere -especially one that few Dutch-speakers are proficient in.
But hey, just sayin'.
_________________ "I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm-a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse."
- Coach
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Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:02 am |
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Arathorn
Minor Diety
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:23 am Posts: 3956 Location: Amsterdam
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Languages are not my strong point, unfortunately. I would like to learn Italian some day, but that's supposed to be relatively easy. At the moment I only speak Dutch and English fluently, and I understand German but can't really speak it, so according to EU standards my knowledge of languages is too low.
_________________ Melchett: As private parts to the gods are we: they play with us for their sport!
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Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:27 am |
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