Talk:Thomas Pynchon/Archive 1

message: While "seemingly-absurd but thoroughly erudite" might be something you'd see on the back of a paperback novel, it is hardly a classy way to describe any novelist.  One does not say of Arnold Schoenberg that he wrote "seemingly unlistenable but actually quite cleverly composed musical works."  Nor should you summarize the work of this particular author with the phrase: Thomas Pynchon is a seemingly-absurd-but-thoroughly-erudite American novelist.  American novelist will do just fine, I think.
Absurd in this context means containing absurdist situations; it is not a description of the quality of his work. Mintguy 11:16, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)
replies: text: It is certainly possible for something to appear to a certain way without actually being so, that's why the word "seem" is in the language.  I purposely chose that phrasing because someone who picks it up in the bookstore, or hears about it from friends who might have started on one, will mostly like have the erroneous impression that his works are absurdist fiction.  The lead paragraph needs to be a succinct expression of what is interesting about the subject; just "American novelist" doesn't say what differentiates Pynchon from a thousand other novelists with articles here. It wouldn't hurt to have a longer characterization of his corpus; one of my books sums it up in about two sentences, which is not too long for the lead, but I don't have time to try my hand at it today. Stan 17:13, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)
thread_title: Other stuff

message: I am extremely hard pressed to believe Paris Hilton would recognize the name Thomas Pynchon. More likely the writers of the O.C. (who do have some degree of wit) have, and thought they were being clever.
Where does the rumor about Pynchon moving back to California come from? I haven't been able to verify that such a rumor exists (or is accessible to me, anyway).
:I agree. The part about Paris Hilton being an active participant in cultural repartee should be removed sans proof.  129.105.35.120 22:29, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Paris Hilton? 

message: I note that the detailed description of Vineland was removed.  OK, I can see the reasoning behind that, and it makes enough sense.  I pulled the text out of the revision history and pasted it into the Vineland article, where it may be more appropriate.  It actually dropped in rather nicely.
Best wishes, Anville 15:58, 1 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Vineland 

message: I'd like to propose to remove the silly and outdated picture of Pynchon from the page, regardless if there is another image.  Regardless if that is an actual picture of him, it is certainly not what he looks like today.  An article on Pynchon would be more accurate, fitting, and respectfull without it.  It's bad enough there's a bit about the poor man having a dental-complex.  Besides, that picture is literally all over the net for those who wish to see it, and adds nothing to an article on Pynchon's obscurity or writing abilities. 129.105.35.120 22:26, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: What does a fifty year old yearbook picture tell us about a living author? I would remove this myself, but I see it's been deleted before and restored. I hope someone has a reason other than "it was my idea" for keeping this in. Orthografer 16:53, 9 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Yearbook Picture 

message: Nothing on the movie? I havent seen it but someone must have. If its garbage, thats ok, say its garbage, but you cant just ignore it.
*Unless someone's seen it, no one can really write about it, right? Zafiroblue05 05:06, 16 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Journey into the Mind of P... 

message: The new UNTITLED Thomas Pynchon novel will 'tentatively' be published Spring 2007. Nov. Rating 8/10 Acc. Rating 5/10
*Oh, come on. Zafiroblue05 22:16, 25 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  From a Source at Holt 

message: is there a story behind the muted horn pic?  It seems like vandalism to me, but am not sure...  --sohmc 01:05, 3 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  muted horn? 

message: An administrator needs to revert the article to the previous version.  proteus71 17:24, 15 Dec 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Any editor can revert the article. Gamaliel 20:40, 15 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: Vandalism

message: Substituted at 20:53, 4 May 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Assessment comment