There's a rumor floating around that the exceedingly reclusive author Thomas Pynchon is about to release a new novel. After nearly ten years of waiting, I would imagine that his fans are expecting something truly mind boggling.
It's not as if he hasn't done anything at all in that time. There was the guest appearance on "The Simpsons" that was much ballyhooed. And like most authors, he's been puttering around with the occasional short essay to keep his hand in, and possibly to keep the creative juices flowing during a blockage.
Without a doubt, the book is causing a stir. According to the MSNBC website, Mr. Pynchon posted a description of the book on Amazon, a synopsis of sorts that is so convoluted that it defies description. Shortly thereafter, the folks at Penguin pulled it with no explanation given. Adds to the overall air of mystery, doesn't it? And since the author will not be doing any book tours, the marketing people are much in need of something to plug the book. And they might need a wheelbarrow as well.
The book is going to run for at least 900 pages. That's around 225,000 words, or the equivalent of three average novels. Can you imagine hefting that around on the subway commute? Who needs a session at the gym after that?
Literary agents are running for cover even now. Before long, they will be barraged by hopeful writers, all submitting weighty tomes that approach Mr. Pynchon's word count, and what will they bray when told to cut? One must always remember that the author who wants to be published must adhere to industry standards in both size and dreck-level to get the first book out there. It takes a following, a large, cash-paying following, to get away with anything else. Thomas Pynchon has been wildly successful. No one will tell him to see the editors before submitting.
1 comment:
It has been said that a reader could shuffle the pages of a Pynchon novel and not damage the story at all.
Post a Comment