He's selflessly trying to cheer up the world through dancing and reading Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, Cindy. Glad you enjoyed it!

Am I Corwood's wife? Huh, I never knew.

My goal is a Buffista wife in every town by 2008. Then we can start our messianic doomesday cult!

Out at lunch today, I sat at the counter next to a young woman who was holding (but not yet reading) the Haruki Murakami novel Kafka on the Shore. I said something like, hey, that's a great book. From her snooty reaction, you would've thought I'd asked her about her sign and if she was into roller disco. I wonder if she'd been previously beset by Japanese fiction-loving lechors.

He's selflessly trying to cheer up the world through dancing and reading Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, Cindy. Glad you enjoyed it!

I so did, and he's just such a beautiful, beautiful boy. I'm not sure he got so big though, because I can clearly remember your announcement of his birth, like 8 days ago.

I've completely lost my ability to tell time, but he's just about 18 months old now.

Apparently, there's a new Pynchon novel on the way. Or is there?!??!?!?

Guess who just finished Watership Down, after all the discussion about it upthread? Excellent book, and an even faster read this second time around (I first read it in 8th grade). IIRC, my fave rabbit back then was Fiver, but this time I totally dug Hazel-rah. He's the perfect leader--willing to listen to others and trust their instincts, but also able to keep his followers together, ready to take risks, and able to cultivate allies of the most unusual sort.

Bigwig still rocks, though.

OOooh, I'm glad you liked the rabbit characters as much as I did. WD was a fine book.

I read Watership Down eight and a half times the year I was ten. Halfway through the ninth time, I suddenly got tired of it. I haven't read it since, but can still remember most of what happens.

I've been thinking going back to it. I'm always nervous about doing that and not liking it as an adult, but it does seem to be holding up for others. Hmmm

From Slate:

We earlier wondered aloud what the deal was with the fleeting appearance on Amazon.com of a synopsis of Untitled Thomas Pynchon. Was it a) a brilliant and deranged gag; b) a brilliant Barnum-caliber stunt; c) a screw-up. If you were playing at home and chose c), then we congratulate you on your perspicacity and enviable lack of cynicism. Pynchon wrote the description of the book, which is titled Against the Day, himself. Its initial posting was premature. (Also, your exceedingly polite reporter regrets any earlier implication that Penguin Press' publicity chief disavowed knowledge of the synopsis itself, as opposed to its presence on the Web site.)

I wonder what the starchy Pynchonologists who weighed in on Amazon and Pynchonoid that it was obviously a work of lesser talent aping Pynchon now think.

I wonder what the starchy Pynchonologists who weighed in on Amazon and Pynchonoid that it was obviously a work of lesser talent aping Pynchon now think.

Heh. Saw the update in Slate just before you posted that. I'll wager at least some will claim it's a sign that Pynchon's not in top form anymore.

I began Watership Down last night. I've never read it. So far, I like it. It reads a lot like Ender's Game to me. Same tone, I've kinda made Fiver Ender and Pipkin Bean.

So, yeah. I like it. I needed a nice light-hearted bunny story, and now I have one!