P | Prose

Pynchon, Thomas

Dražba série 49

Jednoho letního odpoledne se Oidipa Maasová vrátila domů z dámského posezení v sousedství, na nemž hostitelka přidala do fondue možná až příliš třešňového likéru, a zjistila, že byla jmenována vykonavatelem, či spíše vykonavatelkou závěti, kterou zanechal jistý Pierce Inverarity, kalifornský pozemkový magnát.

(czech translation by Rudolf Chalupský)

Gravity's Rainbow

A screaming comes accross the sky.

Mason & Dixon

Snow-Balls have flown their Arcs, starr'd the Sides of Outbuildings, as of Cousins, carried Hats away into the brisk Wind off Delaware,— the Sleds are brought in and their Runners carefully dried and greased, shoes deposited in the back Hall, a stocking's-foot Descent made upon the great kitchen, in a purposeful Dither since Morning, punctuated by the ringing Lids of various Boilers and Stewing-Pots, fragnant with Pie-Spices, peel'd Fruits, Suet, heated Sugar,— the Children, having all upon the Fly, among rhythmic slaps of Batter and Spoon, coax'd and stolen what they might, proceed, as upon each afternoon all this snowy Advent, to a comfortable Room at the rear of the House, years since given over to their carefree Assaults.

Slow Learner: Entropy

Downstairs, Meatball Mulligan's lease-breaking party was moving into its 40th hour.

Slow Learner: Low-Lands

At half past five in the afternoon Dennis Flange was still enterteining the garbage man.

Slow Learner: The Secret Integration

Ouside it was raining, the first rain of October, end of haying season and of the fall's brilliance, purity of light, a certain soundness to weather that had brought New Yorkers flooding up through the Berkshires no too many weekends ago to see the trees changing in that sun. Today, by contrast, it was Saturday and raining in that sun.

Slow Learner: The Small Rain

Outside, the company area broiled slowly under the sun.

Slow Learner: Under The Rose

As the afternoon progressed progressed, yellow clouds began to gather over Place Mohammed Ali, casting a tendril or two back toward the Libyan desert.

The Crying of Lot 49

One summer afternoon Mrs Oedipa Maas came home from a Tupperware party whose hostess had put perhaps too much kirsch in the fondue to find that she, Oedipa, had been named executor, or she supposed executrix, of the estate of one Pierce Inverarity, a California real estate mogul who had once lost two million dollars in his spare time but still had assets numerous and tangled enough to make the job of sorting it all out more than honorary.

V

Christmas Eve, 1955, Benny Profane, wearing black levis, suede jacket, sneakers and big cowboy hat, happened to pass through Norfolk, Virginia.

Vineland

Later than usual one summer morning in 1984, Zoyd Wheeler drifted awake in sunlight through a creeping fig that hung in the window, with a squadron of blue jays stomping around on the roof.

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P | Prose