Thomas Pynchon & the Dark Passages of History This page intentionally left blank david cowart & thomas the dark pynchon passages of history the university of georgia press Athens & London © 2011 by the University of Georgia Press Athens, Georgia 30602 www.ugapress.org All rights reserved Designed by Walton Harris Set in 10/14 ITC New Baskerville Printed and bound by Thomson-Shore The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. Printed in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 P 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cowart, David, 1947– Thomas Pynchon and the dark passages of history / David Cowart. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8203-4062-3 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8203-4062-6 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-8203-4063-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8203-4063-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Pynchon, Thomas—Criticism and interpretation. I. Title. PS3566.Y55Z59 2012 813'.54—dc22 2011021936 British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data available ISBN for this digital edition: 978-0-8203-3709-8 For Pamela, Lodestar to this wandering bark Doch alles, was uns unrührt, dich und mich, Nimmt uns zusammen wie ein Bogenstrich, Der aus zwei Saiten eine Stimme zieht. Auf welches Instrument sind wir gespannt? Und welcher Geiger hat uns in der Hand? O süsses Lied. —rainer maria rilke This page intentionally left blank Think now History has many cunning passages, contrived corridors And issues, deceives with whispering ambitions, Guides us by vanities. —t. s. eliot, “Gerontion” This page intentionally left blank contents Preface xi Acknowledgments xv Abbreviations xix Introduction: Calibrating Clio 1 one. Prospero’s Apprenticeship: Slow Learner 25 two. History and Myth: Pynchon’s V. 40 three. Streben nach dem Unendlichen: Germany and German Culture in Pynchon’s Early Work 57 four. Pynchon and the Sixties: The California Novels 82 five. The Luddite Vision: Mason & Dixon 136 six. Pynchon, Genealogy, History: Against the Day 159 seven. The Historiographer Historicized: Pynchon and Literary History 189 Notes 207 Books, Pamphlets, and Special Periodical Issues on Thomas Pynchon 221 Works Cited 227 Index 237