Against The Day

Subjectivity may be the topic of the book. It is possible that the book is one subjectivity (it is, the author’s). But the book clearly manifestes so many styles, periods, appearances, doubts, images, thoughts, ideas and concepts, events, motives, and, of course, alterations and hallucinations, that the book’s subjectivity is multiple and multiplicity. Characters follow their own subjectivating lines of flight through the narrative, motivated by an internal logic, by a memory, a loss, a problem, a pursuit or fear of pursuit, a talent, to mention a few. Some characters choose their destiny, others seem to be subjected to an invisible agency. And there are within the book many Agencies (a favorite topic of Pynchon’s).