Crowds of colorfully-dressed aeronauts had swept between them, as ships arrived and took off, and the great makeshift aerodrome seethed with distractions and chance meetings. . . .
* * * * * * * * * *
How many familiar television and movie clichés has Pynchon added to this first chapter of Against the Day? Was I just not paying close enough attention to notice them all? It took two in a row for me to begin thinking about it. First Lindsay screaming like the skipper frustrated with Gilligan (or Sarge screaming at Gomer (or Mel screaming at Vera (or Ralph screaming at Norton (or Fred screaming at Barney (or . . . you get the picture))))). And now the scene where somebody being pursued disappears into a colorful chaotic carnival landscape of strange people with exotic looks and vehicles blocking every avenue. It would make a kind of playful sense that Pynchon would simply litter this first chapter with familiar tropes seeing as how this book is often described as Pynchon's most accessible. Pynchon wanted to make a Pynchon book for Dumb-Dumbs!
Oh! That whole slapstick bit when the ship was about to crash was one of those moments. And maybe Miles and Lindsay wandering wide-eyed about the fair, innocent youngsters gawking at all the wonderful new sights of the big city. What about Darby having embarrassing feelings for Penelope Black? That was sort of John Hughes-ish, no?
Anyway, Lindsay failed to stop Darby from rushing off to see loads of naked women. Lindsay's just going to have to live with knowing Chick will have ruined Darby just a little bit more after tonight.
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