/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.20355843]

Reading one of William H Gass' essays is so fucking frustrating. It always seems like he has something brilliant or profound or revealing or enlightening to say, but he never quite says it outright, and you spend the whole essay thinking to yourself "get to the fucking point already." It's like, instead of plainly describing the point or concept outright, he just weaves tons and tons of pretty words -around- the concept, so you get a faint glimpse of it, but he never elaborates on it or clarifies it, so all you're left with is a hazy half-understanding of what he is trying to say.

Have any other anons had this feeling when reading his essays? Am I just an idiot? Am I reading him wrong somehow? What am I missing? I'm especially interested in his philosophical theories of fiction, and his thoughts on the more technical aspects of fiction, but I just can't fucking grasp what he's trying to say.

[Anonymouṡ No.20355856]

>>20355843
Yes, he's annoying. Especially so since he clearly has talent, but it's perversely misdirected.

[Anonymous No.20356242]

>>20355856
That's what's so infuriating: Gass is clearly very talented, and clearly has some insights into the topics he covers in his essays; If I felt like he didn't have something to say, I would have stopped trying to read his stuff a long time ago; but because he obviously -does- have something to say, I continue to struggle and wrestle with his essays to try to find out what exactly that something is.

[Anonymous No.20356945]

what is the best gass novel to go to after omensetter's luck?

[Anonymous No.20356973]

He's a better fiction writer than an essay writer, for sure.

[Anonymous No.20357053]

>>20355843
He's a cunt

[Anonymous No.20358163]

bump

[Anonymous No.20359144]

>>20356945
I'd recommend his short stories. I tried moving straight on to the Tunnel and it was just as difficult as everybody said it was, I'm still working my way up to it

[Anonymous No.20359559]

>>20355843
He's a bad writer. I haven't read him, but he uses a Mac, so he can't really be that smart.

[Anonymous No.20359572]

>>20359559
Yeah why doesn't he have a gaming PC? kinda lowkey sus senpai

[Anonymous No.20359573]

>>20355843
Yeah basically only Roman Catholics can write. Check out Ed Feser or Ross Douthat and you'll see prose that isn't anywhere near the beauty of Gass or Barth but leagues beyond in terms of clarity. John Henry Newman is the pinnacle of prose + clarity in English. I also find John Ruskin to be notable by St. John Henry Newman is beyond. I'm not even Catholic FWIW

[Anonymous No.20359578]

>>20355843
>you spend the whole essay thinking to yourself "get to the fucking point already."
Maybe your ADHD-addled brain does.

[Anonymous No.20359581]

>>20359144
i'll start looking for some of his short stories. in what ways was the tunnel difficult?

[Anonymous No.20359583]

>>20359573
>only Roman Catholics can write
Finally someone just came out and said it.

[Anonymous No.20359598]

>>20359583
I genuinely don't get why but it's true. There are incredible stylists and thinkers beyond Catholicism but the best writers are to a one Catholic. The first paragraph of Apologi Pro Sua Vita:
>I CANNOT be sorry to have forced Mr. Kingsley to bring out in fulness his charges against me. It is far better that he should discharge his thoughts upon me in my lifetime, than after I am dead. Under the circumstances I am happy in having the opportunity of reading the worst that can be said of me by a writer who has taken pains with his work and is well satisfied with it. I account it a gain to be surveyed from without by one who hates the principles which are nearest to my heart, has no personal knowledge of me to set right his misconceptions of my doctrine, and who has some motive or other to be as severe with me as he can possibly be.
>And first of all, I beg to compliment him on the motto in his Title-page; it is felicitous. A motto should contain, as in a nutshell, the contents, or the character, or the drift, or the animus of the writing to which it is prefixed. The words which he has taken from me are so apposite as to be almost prophetical. There cannot be a better illustration than he thereby affords of the aphorism which I intended them to convey. I said that it is not more than an hyperbolical expression to say that in certain cases a lie is the nearest approach to truth. Mr. Kingsley's pamphlet is emphatically one of such cases as are contemplated in that proposition. I really believe, that his view of me is about as near an approach to the truth about my writings and doings, as he is capable of taking. He has done his worst towards me; but he has also done his best. So far well; but, while I impute to him no malice, I unfeignedly think, on the other hand, that, in his invective against me, he as faithfully fulfils the other half of the proposition also.

[Anonymous No.20359602]

christcucks are a blight upon the board

[Anonymous No.20359606]

>>20359602
Post your favorite prose stylists :)

[Anonymous No.20359630]

>>20359578
I know this post was meant to be provocative, but in all seriousness, go read one of his essays about fiction and you'll see what I mean.

[Anonymous No.20359651]

>>20359630
Not that anon, but I really enjoyed "On Being Blue." I wasn't looking for a point so much as letting the prose take me for a ride, but maybe that's why I barely remember anything about it save that it was well-written and kept me entertained.
But there's definitely some spots where he uses florid language to hide midwit-tier observations like
>Chocolate tastes brown but eggplant doesn't taste purple???

[Anonymous No.20359907]

always get strong grandma vibes from mr gass

[Anonymous No.20360363]

>>20355843

looks like he has some kind of device to keep his beverage continuously heated ... people come on

[Anonymous No.20360911]

>>20359573
>>20359598
Give me the lowdown on John Henry Newman. I know Stephen's character mentions him a couple of times in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man but I didn't know that he was an actual influence on Joyce's writing IRL

[Anonymous No.20361944]

he do be lookin like he lets out some monstrous gasses

[Anonymous No.20361979]

>>20355843
I don't know Gass, but Kierkegaard can be like this sometimes.

[Anonymous No.20362744]

>>20355843
Yeah it's the impression I get as well. I still enjoy them for the ride, though.

[Anonymous No.20362831]

>>20355843

[Anonymous No.20362848]

gass is king

[Anonymous No.20362867]

>this thread
lol. It is basic fucking comparative criticism.
>pick topic
>research how it evolved over the years
>write an essay exploring that and the ramifications
You are literally getting filtered over a history lesson. It is called an informative essay, he is not trying to prove or disprove anything, he is just trying to inform you so you can be a bit less stupid.

[Anonymous No.20362876]

>>20362831
fucking kek. Please tell me there is a recording or at least a transcript.

[Anonymous No.20362935]

>>20359144
That's funny he has short stories because the only thing of his I recall reading was complaining that kids these days all be writing short stories

[Anonymous No.20362942]

>>20362831
>>20362876
Found it.
https://medium.com/the-william-h-gass-interviews/william-h-gass-interviewed-by-thomas-leclair-with-john-gardner-1979-e6de4d424107

[Anonymous No.20363005]

>>20362867
Again, go read his essays about fiction specifically. His other essays, for example, the ones on specific writers like James or Pound, don't have this problem. It is specifically his essays where he is talking about theoreticals and more abstract concepts relating specifically to fiction.

[Anonymous No.20363166]

>>20363005
>you don't agree with me so I am just going to assume you are a moron and did not understand because if you did understand you would obviously agree.
Perhaps you should try some of his essays that fall between the concrete and the abstract to ease you in, "Autobiography" is a good one of that ilk.

[Anonymous No.20363218]

>>20360911
Greatest English prose writer of all time who Joyce idolized. He was Anglican and then converted to Roman Catholicism and is now a sent. He wrote three books that are key: The idea of a university, apologia pro sua vita (about his conversion), and then I have his understanding of what Christian doctrine is.