Comments on: Cigarettes by Harry Mathews http://madinkbeard.com/archives/cigarettes-by-harry-mathews { Derik Badman's Writing on Comics (mostly) } Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:32:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DerikB http://madinkbeard.com/archives/cigarettes-by-harry-mathews/comment-page-1#comment-237516 DerikB Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:09:52 +0000 http://madinkbeard.com/archives/cigarettes-by-harry-mathews#comment-237516 It's not clear (and I'm not sure anymore) but I think that was supposed to be in the context of structure/constraint. A formal order of some kind (like many of Gilbert Sorrentino's novels have). It’s not clear (and I’m not sure anymore) but I think that was supposed to be in the context of structure/constraint. A formal order of some kind (like many of Gilbert Sorrentino’s novels have).

]]> By: Stephen Frug http://madinkbeard.com/archives/cigarettes-by-harry-mathews/comment-page-1#comment-236670 Stephen Frug Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:36:37 +0000 http://madinkbeard.com/archives/cigarettes-by-harry-mathews#comment-236670 Just read this for the first time. Like you I liked it a lot. I would mildly disagree with this, though: "They seem to occur in no understandable order or logic, often a later chapter fills in what we are missing from an earlier chapter, sometimes the smallest of threads connects one chapter to another, one character to another." I think the order is very specifically *narrative*: I think it's designed to heighten mystery and strangeness and the pleasure of discovery and surprise. If by "no understandable order or logic" you mean it's not according to a set pattern (like chronology), then yes; but I think the order and logic is quite deliberate. And I didn't experience the various stories as nearly as separate as you did; they felt quite entwined to me -- the interactions of a group of people, all of whom know and affect some of the others, building to a larger, if multi-faceted, story. (Not unlike some of Philip K. Dick's novels, come to think of it.) Which is to say: it *felt* very well connected to me. SF Just read this for the first time. Like you I liked it a lot.

I would mildly disagree with this, though: “They seem to occur in no understandable order or logic, often a later chapter fills in what we are missing from an earlier chapter, sometimes the smallest of threads connects one chapter to another, one character to another.”

I think the order is very specifically *narrative*: I think it’s designed to heighten mystery and strangeness and the pleasure of discovery and surprise. If by “no understandable order or logic” you mean it’s not according to a set pattern (like chronology), then yes; but I think the order and logic is quite deliberate.

And I didn’t experience the various stories as nearly as separate as you did; they felt quite entwined to me — the interactions of a group of people, all of whom know and affect some of the others, building to a larger, if multi-faceted, story. (Not unlike some of Philip K. Dick’s novels, come to think of it.) Which is to say: it *felt* very well connected to me.

SF

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