I've read only "Nickel Boys", but seeing Maus' comparison of "John Henry Days" to "V.", in structure ("what the book was asking me as the reader to do in reassembling all of the various bits and pieces of story") makes me want to check it out. I fell in love with "V." when it first came out, when I was in high school (yes, I'm old!)
"V" is one of those books that I think when it connects with the right reader it's a profound experience. I read it in college and didn't know what to make of it other than I was astounded by it.
As with your reaction to THE INTUITIONIST, I wonder if there's something to be noted about Pynchon's startlingly young age (27) in the year V. was published. I can't even begin to articulate what might be the demonstrable effect of that kind of precocious insightfulness on the craft of fiction, since scholars and reviewers generally presume that it only points towards bugs rather than features. Crankier (and, in my mind, prejudicial) figures like James Wood or Tom Wolfe, for example, might insist that it results in a lack of human emotion in favor of "postmodern" technique or theory but that strikes me as bosh in both V. and THE INTUITIONIST, each of which strike me as profoundly humanistic.
Not only the reassembly mirrors "V" but the underlying point that the reassembly may be the more vital act as opposed to the consideration of what, if anything, is reassembled!
as a huge fan of good literary fiction, obviously i enjoy colson whitehead's books, but i can't help feeling like he is the more accessible, popular version of the totally brilliant edward p jones. just saying ...
Jones is genuinely brilliant -- I do wish he'd publish more, but that ship has likely sailed for the most part. I'm not sure I see them as doing many of the same things, at least not in THE KNOWN WORLD. Jones is so masterful at the short-story form -- something that Whitehead doesn't seem interested in trying, at least not in published form -- that the comparison hadn't occurred to me.
If one sticks to African American fiction writers for a moment, Whitehead seems (to me, at least) to run more in a lane also occupied by Charles Johnson or maybe Gayl Jones as opposed to Edward P. Jones being more in line with John Edgar Wideman or Gloria Naylor. But that's just my impression.
If you decide to read some Alexis, be advised that he has called the series of his first five novels a "quincunx" but I can't really discern any reason why they need to be read in the order of publication (other than perhaps reading DAYS BY MOONLIGHT after PASTORAL, because the former briefly mentions events that happen in the latter.
Even though I have yet to read a single book by Colson Whitehead, this was a very engaging and enlightening read, so thank you for publishing this interview, John. I have to be especially thankful for the link to Louisiana Channel on YouTube, which I did not know about before and which has proven to be a true treasure trove of interview clips.
I had a similar experience with Louisana Channel. Given the direction that the state has taken in recent years/decades, a resource like not only feel like a blessing for those of us outside Louisiana, but must be like manna from heaven for those within it.
I'm a huge fan of Colson Whitehead. Underground Railroad was the first book I read of his and I'll never forget that moment when I realized that there was an actual railroad. I thought that was genius. I loved, loved Sag Harbour. Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto put me in mind of various people I have known through the years. Haven't read John Henry so look forward to doing so. Also glad to hear about Andre Alexis.
If you haven't tried APEX HIDES THE HURT, give it a shot as well. It has the added benefit of being comparatively short. One thing I'd advise with it is focusing less on the main branch of thr story -- the nomenclature consultant's personal story -- and looking more at how his story is embedded in a greater historical (and, historiographic, natch) narrative represented by the town of (for now...) Winthrop.
I've read only "Nickel Boys", but seeing Maus' comparison of "John Henry Days" to "V.", in structure ("what the book was asking me as the reader to do in reassembling all of the various bits and pieces of story") makes me want to check it out. I fell in love with "V." when it first came out, when I was in high school (yes, I'm old!)
"V" is one of those books that I think when it connects with the right reader it's a profound experience. I read it in college and didn't know what to make of it other than I was astounded by it.
As with your reaction to THE INTUITIONIST, I wonder if there's something to be noted about Pynchon's startlingly young age (27) in the year V. was published. I can't even begin to articulate what might be the demonstrable effect of that kind of precocious insightfulness on the craft of fiction, since scholars and reviewers generally presume that it only points towards bugs rather than features. Crankier (and, in my mind, prejudicial) figures like James Wood or Tom Wolfe, for example, might insist that it results in a lack of human emotion in favor of "postmodern" technique or theory but that strikes me as bosh in both V. and THE INTUITIONIST, each of which strike me as profoundly humanistic.
Not only the reassembly mirrors "V" but the underlying point that the reassembly may be the more vital act as opposed to the consideration of what, if anything, is reassembled!
as a huge fan of good literary fiction, obviously i enjoy colson whitehead's books, but i can't help feeling like he is the more accessible, popular version of the totally brilliant edward p jones. just saying ...
Jones is genuinely brilliant -- I do wish he'd publish more, but that ship has likely sailed for the most part. I'm not sure I see them as doing many of the same things, at least not in THE KNOWN WORLD. Jones is so masterful at the short-story form -- something that Whitehead doesn't seem interested in trying, at least not in published form -- that the comparison hadn't occurred to me.
If one sticks to African American fiction writers for a moment, Whitehead seems (to me, at least) to run more in a lane also occupied by Charles Johnson or maybe Gayl Jones as opposed to Edward P. Jones being more in line with John Edgar Wideman or Gloria Naylor. But that's just my impression.
The Intuitionist is awesome. Excited to check out John Henry Days and the Andre Alexis books recommended here.
If you decide to read some Alexis, be advised that he has called the series of his first five novels a "quincunx" but I can't really discern any reason why they need to be read in the order of publication (other than perhaps reading DAYS BY MOONLIGHT after PASTORAL, because the former briefly mentions events that happen in the latter.
In the mean time, JOHN HENRY DAYS is spectacular.
Thanks!
Even though I have yet to read a single book by Colson Whitehead, this was a very engaging and enlightening read, so thank you for publishing this interview, John. I have to be especially thankful for the link to Louisiana Channel on YouTube, which I did not know about before and which has proven to be a true treasure trove of interview clips.
I had a similar experience with Louisana Channel. Given the direction that the state has taken in recent years/decades, a resource like not only feel like a blessing for those of us outside Louisiana, but must be like manna from heaven for those within it.
I'm a huge fan of Colson Whitehead. Underground Railroad was the first book I read of his and I'll never forget that moment when I realized that there was an actual railroad. I thought that was genius. I loved, loved Sag Harbour. Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto put me in mind of various people I have known through the years. Haven't read John Henry so look forward to doing so. Also glad to hear about Andre Alexis.
If you haven't tried APEX HIDES THE HURT, give it a shot as well. It has the added benefit of being comparatively short. One thing I'd advise with it is focusing less on the main branch of thr story -- the nomenclature consultant's personal story -- and looking more at how his story is embedded in a greater historical (and, historiographic, natch) narrative represented by the town of (for now...) Winthrop.
I read this 4 years ago but have absolutely no memory of it. Will reread with this additional perspective. Thanks