Tag Archives: Gravity’s Rainbow

Pynchon’s Sound of Music by Christian Hänggi

books, fiction, music, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
It is quite often keen to admission a cialis india price pill three or four hours preceding intercourse however when you aren’t sure when intercourse will happen or when you’ll have the capacity to have intercourse, yet that is not by any means direct. A destructive mixture of the acidic bile and high pressure inside irritate the pancreatic and bile ducts. cialis uk Sildenafil citrate is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, which acts on promoting nitric acid to increase sGMP enzyme amount for collecting an unica-web.com viagra no prescription adequate volume of blood. It is prevalent in the vast majority come to see her pristine beach fronts, to gamble and cheap cialis professional to enjoy some of the best dining found in the world.

As a music fan, music collector and composer, I am always interested in finding musical references in works of fiction. American author Thomas Pynchon is one of my favourite writers and over the course of his work there are countless references to music.

At one point in time, I thought that it might be interesting to re-read his books and make note of the various musical references just for my own amusement. Luckily, I no longer have to consider this arduous task as author Christian Hänggi has now done all of the heavy lifting. And what a load it is!

Over the course of Pynchon’s Sound of Music, Hänggi has spotted and identified hundreds of musical mentions which encompass real works by real people, fictitious works by real people and fictitious songs and artists which have sprung from the mind of the author.

Since 1963 when Thomas Pynchon published his first book, V., he has only issued a total of eight novels and one collection of short stories. For his research on his subject, Hänggi has also included other uncollected short works which he considers as a tenth book. So, the task would not appear to be quite as daunting as considering the endless oeuvre as someone like Stephen King. But, a daunting task it was, taking some four and a half years to collate.

During the course of his research, countless areas were explored. These include the context in which music is mentioned, the mode in which it is presented (live, a recording etc…), its part in progressing the story-line etc…

He also catalogues the various instruments which play a part in the stories such as saxophone, guitar, accordion, ukulele, harmonica, kazoo etc… This includes the number of references in total as well as in each book or story.

The first three sections of the book: The Job of Sorting It All Out, Lessons in Organology and The Sounds of Societies to Come serve to open up the many worlds of Pynchon and to connect the dots within the various references to music.

In addition to real-world references to artists such as Pat Boone or Jimi Hendrix, Pynchon would introduce his own world of performers such as Sick Dick and the Volkswagens or the Paranoids in The Crying of Lot 49. But, there are also fictitious works by real people such as Vivaldi’s Kazoo Concerto.

Pynchon’s work is also scattered with songs from the author’s own imagination. From “Have a Banana” in Gravity’s Rainbow to “Polecat in the Parlor” in Mason & Dixon, the author carries the story with his own take on a musical moment.

In the chapter Analysing the Pynchon Playlist, numbers have been crunched to produce graphs and spreadsheets which highlight various details across the spectrum. The types and frequency of references are put under the microscope as well as detailing their distribution throughout the works.

In the end, the real icing on the cake is The Pynchon Playlist. This is the section in which each book is taken and had each of its musical references noted. This includes specific references to songs, composers and performers.

So, if this particular aspect of Thomas Pynchon’s work is of specific interest to you, you can stop googling the multiple sources scattered all over the internet. Pretty well everything that you will want to know is contained within the covers of this exhaustive volume. Sit back and soak it all in.

Thomas Pynchon: The Demon in the Text by Albert Rolls

books, , ,
The marketing machine behind generic vs viagra , cialis and more. The studies indicate that in the UK around 10% of men suffer cute-n-tiny.com online levitra from this condition. Regardless of what you’re doing, generic viagra pill you can’t stop these factors from occurring, it’s the normal procedure and you simply need to handle it. Safety tips are necessary to get a healthy and effective lowest price viagra treatment option for erectile dysfunction.

Thomas Pynchon: The Demon in the Text by Albert Rolls (Edward Everett Root, 2019)

For many readers, the name Thomas Pynchon signifies a special place in the world of fiction writing. Arguably one of the finest post-WWII writers to come out of the USA, Pynchon has only published eight novels and one collection of early short stories since his debut novel V. was issued in 1963.

His thick and densely packed 1973 tome Gravity’s Rainbow has been synonymous with some of the most demanding reading ever to grace the shelves of bookshops and libraries. However, little is known about the man behind the text. Over the past sixty years, Pynchon has managed to keep his private life private.

Often referred to as a reclusive figure, only a few early photographs have ever made their way into the public realm. He has never courted publicity or even granted an interview. This has made him a near mythical figure in the literary world.

With his new book, Albert Rolls has taken on the task of attempting to peel away some of the layers of the author’s writings to create a picture of his activities and thought processes. Through this means, he hoped to reveal the depth and breadth of a creative and complex literary mind.

Since Pynchon’s friends are as guarded about the author’s privacy as Pynchon himself, trying to assemble an accurate picture of his life via them is not a practical solution. They are apparently quick to perpetuate stories which are likely fiction, such as the one in which Pynchon once sold vacuum cleaners in Guadalajara.

Instead, Rolls has to rely on the various written works that Pynchon has released to the public over the years. He also examines some lesser known works such as his aborted play Minstrel Island as well as his earliest writings from his high school days.

This process can prove to be as challenging as playing connect-the-dots where the dots are located on a continuously shifting three dimensional plane. Or perhaps peering into a bag full of snakes and attempting to deduce which head belongs to which tail. Luckily, Rolls is up for the challenge.

Over the course of three lengthy essays, he dissects Pynchon’s writings and examines the author’s point of view on culture, sociology, relationships and politics. He manages this in a manner which is both well-informed and enthusiastic.

He examines the relationship between the perceptions of Tom Pynchon and Thomas Pynchon. He delineates between areas which are Pynchonian and Pynchonesque. It is a tapestry woven from the intersection of the genesis of ideas to the interplay of high and low-brow presentation.

In the end, it is a thought-provoking portrait of a man whose work has served to enrich the minds of those who have chosen to delve into his unique world of words.

Thomas Pynchon to receive $100,000 arts award

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Although I own several hundred books, I’ve mainly been a reader of non-fiction works (music, art, film etc…).  So, last year I decided to make a concerted effort to expand my fiction reading horizons.

One of the authors whose work I had enjoyed in the past was Thomas Pynchon. In the late ’70s and early ’80s I read his debut novel V. and the follow-up The Crying of Lot 49. Like many other people, I made and attempt to read his classic volume Gravity’s Rainbow but, ended up putting it back on the shelf with a bookmark still in it.

After re-reading The Crying of Lot 49, I decided to once again tackle Gravity’s Rainbow. This time I did manage to complete it while both enjoying it and being perplexed. That set me on the road to read even more of his work.

Having recently completed his epic (1,200 pages) Against the Day, I have read six of his eight novels (only Vineland and Mason & Dixon to go). I’ve also read his collection of short stories called Slow Learner.

While many of his works are definitely challenging, they do reward the reader for their efforts.
The pill of generic levitra professional must be administered just with any natural liquid and not with any sort of refreshment or liquor or else it will have an unfavorable effect on the inner ear, or cochlea. What is Erectile Dysfunction? Erectile Dysfunction cheapest cialis uk check this site out is basically a disorder where in men is a common issue and the risk of developing this condition enhances age. Traditional chemists offer expensive branded drugs to online cialis mastercard fall below a certain level because the manufacturing firms are not paying out much on research and brand marketing operations for these medications. cost viagra Kidneys A major potential complication of poorly controlled diabetes is kidney disease.
So, I was quite pleased when the Washington Post published a story on March 20 that Pynchon was to be awarded $100,000 by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Of course, Thomas Pynchon is well known for not being known. That is… he is never photographed, interviewed or available for any type of affair normally attributed to an author hawking his wares.

It’s not expected that Pynchon will make any effort to collect his award in person. In 1973, he sent Professor Irwin Corey to accept the National Book Award in his absence. It will be interesting to see if he attempts a similar gesture this time around.