Comments on: Three Farmers On Their Way to a Dance http://heliologue.com/2009/06/25/three-farmers-on-their-way-to-a-dance/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:16:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Conor http://heliologue.com/2009/06/25/three-farmers-on-their-way-to-a-dance/#comment-179213 Conor Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:26:40 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3838#comment-179213 I agree that Powers's characters are typically flat. It's a stodgy stain on an otherwise meticulous and fluid, if not tender, writing style. Since reading <i>Galatea 2.2</i> (which was my first Powers book, and I believe how I found this blog in the first place!), I've read <i>Operation Wandering Soul</i> and <i>Gain</i>. The former was aggressive and appealed to me very much, but the latter was a little more meandering—heading, I suspect, in the direction of <i>The Echo Maker</i>, which I haven't read yet, but mean to. To me, Powers really only has one trope: the schism of science and art has damned humanity to blindness, muteness, and eternal suffering, but hope lies in the celebration of meaning on the shrinking ground where it can still be found. Yay, score one for the phoenix of Romanticism, which is pissing on the ashes of the Enlightenment, and everyone goes home, while not necessarily happier, at least a little smug for having snuck a peak behind the veil of maya. Don't get me wrong, though: I freaking love the guy. I agree that Powers’s characters are typically flat. It’s a stodgy stain on an otherwise meticulous and fluid, if not tender, writing style.

Since reading Galatea 2.2 (which was my first Powers book, and I believe how I found this blog in the first place!), I’ve read Operation Wandering Soul and Gain. The former was aggressive and appealed to me very much, but the latter was a little more meandering—heading, I suspect, in the direction of The Echo Maker, which I haven’t read yet, but mean to.

To me, Powers really only has one trope: the schism of science and art has damned humanity to blindness, muteness, and eternal suffering, but hope lies in the celebration of meaning on the shrinking ground where it can still be found. Yay, score one for the phoenix of Romanticism, which is pissing on the ashes of the Enlightenment, and everyone goes home, while not necessarily happier, at least a little smug for having snuck a peak behind the veil of maya.

Don’t get me wrong, though: I freaking love the guy.

]]> By: Ben http://heliologue.com/2009/06/25/three-farmers-on-their-way-to-a-dance/#comment-178206 Ben Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:33:01 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3838#comment-178206 I hear mixed things about <cite>The Gold Bug Variations</cite>, perhaps simply because it's so dense compared to Powers' other works. Also, it looks like Powers has <em>another</em> one schedule for September of this year, so pop another entry into your queue. (For what it's worth, <cite>Galatea 2.2</cite> is still my favorite....) I hear mixed things about The Gold Bug Variations, perhaps simply because it’s so dense compared to Powers’ other works.

Also, it looks like Powers has another one schedule for September of this year, so pop another entry into your queue.

(For what it’s worth, Galatea 2.2 is still my favorite….)

]]> By: Nick http://heliologue.com/2009/06/25/three-farmers-on-their-way-to-a-dance/#comment-178203 Nick Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:52:22 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3838#comment-178203 (Also glad to see that you have your head on your shoulders regarding Ms Meyer as well as Mr Brown, but I wouldn't have expected any less.) (Also glad to see that you have your head on your shoulders regarding Ms Meyer as well as Mr Brown, but I wouldn’t have expected any less.)

]]> By: Nick http://heliologue.com/2009/06/25/three-farmers-on-their-way-to-a-dance/#comment-178202 Nick Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:51:11 +0000 http://heliologue.com/?p=3838#comment-178202 Glad to see you're keeping up with Powers. This one's a little further down my list (I mean to get to <em>The Gold Bug Variations</em> and <em>The Echo Maker</em> first, which will hopefully be within the next few years) but I've been interested in it since hearing about it in spurts via the fictionalized (?) Richard Powers of <em>Galatea 2.2</em>. Glad to see you’re keeping up with Powers. This one’s a little further down my list (I mean to get to The Gold Bug Variations and The Echo Maker first, which will hopefully be within the next few years) but I’ve been interested in it since hearing about it in spurts via the fictionalized (?) Richard Powers of Galatea 2.2.

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