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You left out "glinting rich and strange", which helps to make sense of "into our eternal souls". Black pearls are rare with a somewhat subjective beauty, "unfa
by percentcer 13y ago
You left out "glinting rich and strange", which helps to make sense of "into our eternal souls".
Black pearls are rare with a somewhat subjective beauty, "unfathomable" can be interpreted literally in the analogy but also holds its normal meaning, and "any other diver" refers to any author but Pynchon.
- saraid216 13y ago> "unfathomable" can be interpreted literally in the analogy but also holds its normal meaning Near as I can tell without reading the article, this sentence uses "unfathomable" with all of its meanings. Which I find nifty.
- lovemenot 13y agoFor this to work beautifully, we would fathom pearls when finding or collecting them. afaik only depths of water can be the literal object of the verb to fathom. It doesn't quite succeed, here. Which is likely why Pynchon is celebrated and the reviewer is reviewing him, rather than the reverse.
- saraid216 13y agoThe fathoming happens inside the pearl.
- nealabq 13y agoThe author is riffing on Shakespeare: Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes; Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Fathom_Five_%28Tempest%29#.22Full_Fathom_Five.22 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Fathom_Five_%28Tempest%29#...