View RSS Feed

Q's Views

A Real Disappointment

Rate this Entry
6 Comments
by
PabloQ
, 12-07-2008 at 11:19 PM (1379 Views)
I don't think it's much of a secret that I'm spending a lot of my time reading American novels. I'm having difficulty finding forums where I can see the American novel discussed. Just doesn't seem to be much call for it. A recent thread that I thought had promise was shut down today.

What started as a simple question about The Bell Jar and Gravity's Rainbow turned into a philosopical joust about universalism. The thread struggled to get on track, but deteriorated into an infantile discussion of economics, socialism, and nonsense. Thank you all.

If I were a vengeful person, I'd seek out some of these folks favorite threads and see if I could get them shut down by taking their discussion by a nonconsequential political argument a gazillion miles off topic. But that would be unfair. Just as unfair as what happened today.

I'd been thinking for day's on the role of wilderness in the American novel and my interpretation of what it means. Citing examples (odd concept). Maybe I'll save it for another day and post it here. Or maybe I'll just take my ball and go home.
Categories
Uncategorized

Comments

  1. motherhubbard's Avatar
    I'm sorry about your thread, Pablol. What are you reading right now?
  2. PabloQ's Avatar
    Trying to finish up The Beautiful and Damned by Fitzgerald. Struggling to find the time with the holidays coming on and some intensity with my job. But I'm getting close to my original goal.
  3. Virgil's Avatar
    Pablo, being partling in the mix of what caused that thread to be shut down, I apologise. It got seriously off track. You can start another and resume the conversation. Though I have read many American novels, I have to admit that my concentration in school was the English 20th century novel. Please start another thread and let's see what I can contribute on the subject. The wilderness plays a huge role in many 19th century novels: Huck Finn, Cooper's Leatherstocking Novels, The Scarlet Letter, Whitman's poetry, Walden Pond, even Moby Dick if you think of the ocean as wilderness. I would love to hear your thoughts. Why don't you call the thread, "Wilderness in the American Novel"?
  4. mtpspur's Avatar
    Virgil beat me to the Leatherstocking Tales re wilderness but if you want to simplify it The Prairie is probably the prevalent in that theme. Followed by The Pioneers. Read them lates 30s but they still creep around the brain cells from time to time. Sorry about your thread--I don't do well on them as a rule so I stick mostly to the blogs where I can be more personal.
  5. Niamh's Avatar
    Pablo, why dont you start off a American lit social discussion group?
  6. kiz_paws's Avatar
    Pablo, don't ever "take your ball and go home", promise? Your blog is always speckled with such great witticisms that never fail to make me smile (and think). Your input is valued, don't ever doubt it. Threads getting shut down can be very annoying, I hear ya. *pats back*

    Shipping you a snowball to throw at those responsible (lol): o <------ [a cheap rendition of that which is plentiful here]

    There. Use at your own discretion.
    ~K♥zzo