From: jonesy
Category: Amis
Date: 8/19/99
Time: 12:12:48 PM
Remote Name: 130.159.248.35
Absolutely correct young sir, Mike's slip into third person is not an error. Like I said "...it's been left in so, assuming Amis did check, it must be there for a reason ... what do you lot think?" So what do you think? I don't think it just an idiom like you suggest, or "humoristical pseudo-pomposity" like Floyd suggests [although I would like to accept the offer of a tryst with you're Capote android, Floyd, as long as it goes lightly]. At the moment, having only read the book once, I can't actually see a reason for it, which is why I asked, I like things to make sense.
On the suicide side, however, I do agree with Floyd's close friend Gooch, I thinks it's just about credible that Jennifer could be driven to join the "stupid club" by the realisation that we're all just poo on the sole of the universal loafer, but Bellow's scepticism is justified. After all if it were that good a reason to switch out the lights we'd all be taking harp lessons. But it is nice and ironic that she's a scientist and it's science that pushes her over the edge; that her urge to give life meaning through science and rationality takes all the mystery away and makes life meaningless. On second thoughts how do you play a Gm7 on this thing? Ah here we go. Thrang …"It's been a hard day's night…."