― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 23:34 (nineteen years ago) link
I empathize with you about "mentally defending him from charges of being too cold and clever and studied". Reading Everything And More, his book about Cantor and the study of infinity, I grew quite frustrated with his writing. He really goes to town with this whole using clever abbreviations and non-alphabetical characters shtick; it impeded my comprehension of some of the mathematical stuff, and for what purpose? It felt like an affectation, like he was just putting on airs.
I guess GON transcended those kinds of concerns for me at the time I read it because I was so impressed and absorbed by it; I bought it, hook, line, and sinker. When I read it a second time a few months ago, it held up (and I enjoyed very much anticipating the reversal and going through it as slowly as I could to see how he did it -- the first time I read it, I just zipped through at light speed because I was so *into* it) although I suspect I will only want to read it again after a few more years have passed and maybe not for a long time after that -- there is a certain one-trick pony-ness to it, but what a trick! So I'm defending it, but not claiming it's like canon-worthy, necessarily. If I had the text I would be able to point out more specific bits of the writing that I find worthy of admiration. I haven't read THSINAS or The Secret Integration so I can't compare them.
So I guess my defense of GON is that I was sufficiently affected that it disarmed my DFW Airs Dectector, but I also can imagine many people would find my detector set far too forgiving. I doubt that will convince anyone to like this story who didn't already. But I wonder, who are other authors/what are other stories that have displayed this sort of virtusoity? I would very much like to read them. I seem to like this sort of thing. And I wonder if it's possible to read such *without* having to disarm the Airs Dectector...
― comme personne (common_person), Thursday, 26 August 2004 14:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 26 August 2004 17:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 26 August 2004 17:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 02:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― Neil Willett (Neil Willett), Thursday, 2 September 2004 18:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― Neil Willett (Neil Willett), Thursday, 2 September 2004 18:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:44 (nineteen years ago) link
I don't know if I'd agree about oblivion's ending, though! To me "an ending" implies closure and finality and stuff - Oblivion seems to end the way say < wanker> Shakespeare's Troilus ends < /wanker>, with the contagion blowing out into the rest of the world. It's not like the ending is even chronologically final...
― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 12 November 2004 18:28 (nineteen years ago) link
I think it might do things with The Suffering Channel, because I get the impression that Oblivion (the book) is an interlaced sorta thing, it paces itself, but I couldn't read TSC, I am too squeamish, ugh.
― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Sunday, 14 November 2004 04:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― David Elinsky (David Elinsky), Sunday, 14 November 2004 05:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 15 November 2004 16:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― W i l l (common_person), Monday, 15 November 2004 18:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 13:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― the bellefox, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― W i l l (common_person), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― John (jdahlem), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 20:25 (nineteen years ago) link
[POTENTIAL SPOILaGe of Suffering Channel]
Q: so is mrs. moltke an evil mastermind?
Q: what's in the other duplex-half?!
i know i'm going to have nightmares tonight.
― gabe (gabe), Friday, 22 July 2005 01:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― tom west (thomp), Friday, 22 July 2005 15:11 (eighteen years ago) link
another reason wallace is a douche: cuz he left ISU to for rich socal preps at pomona. not that i blame him.
― John (jdahlem), Friday, 22 July 2005 18:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― tom west (thomp), Saturday, 23 July 2005 15:11 (eighteen years ago) link
tried revisiting Good Old Neon today but couldn't do it. too brutal. so sorely missed. after trying for 9 years to get through Infinite Jest i finished it last night. took four months. re-read the first chapter immediately and my brain is still dripping out my ear
― flappy bird, Monday, 12 September 2016 23:31 (seven years ago) link