Brain Pain discussion

This discussion covers Part III THE GOLDEN NUMBER, Page 523 – 667 and Conclusions/Book as a whole

Since I already read this last year because I wanted to tackle all of the so far published Seven Dreams in one go, and since my life currently is not very favourable towards any kind of close or challenging reading, I'll just pour out what I made in the way of notes back when I was reading it. It's all very disorganized and fragmented, but maybe someone can strike a spark from this. Feel free to delete this if you think it's just a waste of space (or let me know and I'll delete it myself).

After ice and river, the aggregate state of water that dominates Argall is mud (muck, ooze). Prologue chapter once again introduces the text the novel is based on (and again, as physical object) - seems less impenetrable than the corresponding chapter in previous novels, but maybe I'm just getting used to it. Colours for this volume: green & blue?

Again, Vollmann is taking his main source utterly serious, this time taking John Smith's extceedingly tall tales at face value even though one strongly suspects that they might owe more to the picaresque novel of the time than actual experiences. Smith definitely seems not to have been spoiled by too much humility.

Smith only knows a few stock phrases of the Indian language and applies those to any situation coming his way, much like he is fitting everything he encounters into the mold of Machiavelli's Prince - closing (enclosing?) himself to new experiences.

Vollmann draws parallel between enclosures of Commons in England and claiming of land in colonies - is the sprawling nature of his own writing also a kind of resistance against enclosure?

Colonization & gender: Virginia is presented as a woman, and conquered to the same degree that Pocahontas is domesticated - novel constructs a clear parallel.

"Twinkling fear": Not sure where the twinkling is coming from, but it seems to be a fear that conjures its own objects, creates them. Due to that fear, colonists see Indians as aggressive and inimical -> colonists treat Indians like the enemies they perceive them to be -> Indians become the enemies colonists perceive them to be.

Again like in previous novels, Vollmann hides poetological self-references in the most oblique places - what struck me this time was a remark made somewhere during Pocahontas' abduction, that Vollmann's novels are hiding and watching in the dark, shadowy corners of history (or something to that effect, too lazy to look it up now).

Finally, it occurred to me that each volume of Seven Dreams belongs to a different genre, each appropriate to the period it is set in: The Ice-Shirt is a saga, Fathers and Crows is a chronicle, Argall is a picaresque novel (really the only "proper" novel so far, which is probably why I found it the most accessible and easy to read of the bunch) and The Rifles is a travel/exploration diary.

Overall the book is unremittingly sad and bitter, with humor in the presentation, though it's mainly very ironic and dark humor, and humor in the playful turn of phrases.

It's a very effective/affecting book; quite an accomplishment all around.

I think there's a lot more that can be said. I'm not how soon I'll be ready to say it. I will probably want to read some of the "sources" section at the back, because Vollmann touches on his own method and his purpose to give what is fundamentally a plausible tale built upon these sources.

As to the plausibility/implausibility of Smith's own accompts, perhaps we can say that he told some far-fetched tales, while living in far-fetched times! (The reality of this period, and the elements of this story which are regarded as historical are a challenge to the reader's ability to credit reality.)

Hmmm... well, let's see... the book does have basically two main parts though, the tale as seen from Smith's P.O.V. to his departure from Virginia, and ALL ELSE. Maybe ALL ELSE is the real sorrowful part of the tale?

I felt pretty awful for Amonute/Pakahitoss/whatever-her-name-was, and a grim moment was when she finally had the apparent opportunity for an audience with King James and... didn't speak up. It was dreadful because she was actually *right* not to speak up, she had been defeated by her own dawning awareness of the sheer hopelessness, yet I still wanted her to say something.

Zadignose wrote: "Overall the book is unremittingly sad and bitter, with humor in the presentation, though it's mainly very ironic and dark humor, and humor in the playful turn of phrases.

It's a very effective/aff..."

Vollmann is a unique writer both in form and theme, and although at times I don't relate to elements of his work, I still respect his accomplishments. If you decide to explore his work further, you might consider the first volume of the Seven Dreams series, The Ice-Shirt, which explores some of the earliest encounters between European and North American peoples. It was the first of his books I read and found it to be very good.

I definitely want to read it, and have been pondering it for a while, since I like Icelandic sagas and have read Vinland sagas a couple of times... I'm also pondering his newer work on Noh theater... and others...