Rating: 
Summary: Pynchon is a pretentious blowhard
Review: That said, I'll refrain from personal insults to the folks out there who enjoyed his book. I made it about 100 pages into the novel before I gave up. This was mostly due to a lack of faith- I don't believe it will be worth it to struggle through the next 800 pages.This is a shame, because some of the passages really sparkled. I didn't find it "too hard", but I resented the demands Pynchon makes of his readers. I have very few requirements for the authors I choose to read- I don't need my literature spoonfed to me, but at the same time, I'm suspicious of any novel that requires a doctoral disseration as a companion. I'm also suspicious of a novel that is called a "masterpiece" because it isn't understood by the masses. My idea of a great novel is not one that hides gems in deliberately obfuscated prose. I give this book one star because I don't like the way Pynchon presents his ideas, not because I think he's a bad writer. I'm taking my copy of GR to a used bookstore in hopes that someone else will get more out of it than I have.
Rating: 
Summary: Best book I've never read
Review: When Von Braun's autobiography "I Aimed For The Stars" was published, some of his NASA colleagues muttered "But you hit London". Pynchon's title is a punchline too. That the ascent and decline of man should so perfectly match this symbol of technology in its trajectory; that it will be the source of man's ultimate destruction is as funny as the Apollo moon launch originating at Penemunde. So I'm saving the rest of this book for that time when I will be desperate for a really good laugh. On some nuclear rainy day.
Rating:
Summary: Push out the jive. Bring in the love.
Review: I understand the urge, Pynchon Lovers, to answer harsh criticisms of our beloved Gravity's Rainbow, some of which seem more like personal insults directed at the pretentious sheep who claim to like it (that's us) than actual reviews of the book, with similar (if more elegantly worded) insults. But what's really the point? People don't argue this way over Truman Capote or any of the hundreds of authors of his ilk, so why do so over Pynchon? True, his detractors strike first, and we're only trying to explain ourselves, but we really shouldn't feel obligated to. When a bundled stranger at a bus stop grumbles over the falling of a first few drops of rain, those of us who like rain don't turn to the bundle and say, 'But it's about to rain! How can you fail to feel the joy I do?' No, let the grumps grumble. That said, I do have a suggestion for those who are somewhat interested in having another go at Gravity's Rainbow, or those who have just opened it and feel a little lost, or those who don't often read experimental literature but want to give it a try sometime: As readers, our task is ambiguous and varies from author to author. But most authors expect at least a few common things from us. They expect us to know what's going on all the time, to get interested in their characters, to temporarily believe in thier artificial realities, and probably a few other things. One of Pynchon's most delightful attributes is that he expects none of this from us! It's absurd that so many of Pynchon's detractors seem to think that he demands some sort of intelectual gymnastics from each of his readers. I think all he expects of a reader is an open mind. There's a lot of pleasure in this book for a reader capable of letting go his inhibitions and letting words affect him in a new way.
Rating: 
Summary: Trying to decide whether to try it again
Review: I've attempted three or four times to get into GR and failed. To varying degrees I put this down to (i) me not being 'in the mood' (ii) me being too stupid (iii) Pynchon having a laugh at my expense. I've read all of the reviews on this page and, interestingly, the tone and arguments of the detractors seem much more reasoned and sensible than those of the supporters. If only the author made some attempt to suck the reader in at the beginning then he could have all the fun in the world playing around with you once you're hooked. But he doesn't even try - which makes the book painless to put down. And that I suppose is the worst thing you can say about a book. That's said, I'll probably have another crack at it. Purely out of pride, mind you.
Rating:
Summary: ...a progressive knotting into..."
Review: Dear One star reviewers: OK, you're frustrated. You tried, but couldn't. Does this mean you're dumb? Of course not! You need a month off to read this thing! On top of that, you need to be in the mood for such an undertaking! I haven't been able to touch Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, but I'm not gonna poo-poo it because I don't have the time or inclination to delve into it. But I do know that if I did and could, it would be one of the most richly rewarding aesthetic experiences of my life. Pynchon's masterpiece is no exception. It's like a history lesson, a comic book, an engineering tract, a pennywhistle band, and a rock concert. It's like many more things as well. So take heart!
Rating:
Summary: "You will want cause and effect. All right."
Review: The two sentences above yield the key to reading this towering achievement of brain-splitting literary machismo. That they come only 100 pages shy of the book's conclusion (if it can be said to ever end) tells the reader quite a lot about the author's intentions. Pynchon knows what you want, and he knows he could give it to you. But where's the excitement in that? Critics of this book so often point to what it specifically is not and say "See! See!" with a slobbering relish and a wistful glance to bygone days. Got news for you folks: might as well set up your tent and camp here because literature has officially passed you by. No shame in it, just an expiration date. You're curators now, not adventurers. Gravity's Rainbow is maddening because it is long, overloaded, obscure, opaque, juvenile, shifty, insincere, low-brow, ivory-tower, obscene, and bloated. Sounds a lot like the world we live in, actually. I've yet to read any literary criticism that purports to understand the book, and this, of course, is part of the point. It forces you to ask yourself, "What is understanding? Why do I need to understand? If understanding isn't an option, then what else is there?" Once you reach this moment of meta-curiosity (or, rather, are driven to it), you've started down the path to enjoying Thomas Pynchon. Other authors, too many to name, have challenged what is sacred in our world. Pynchon mines so much deeper than this. Questions lead only to questions about questions. It's a fractal, inward spiral, or it's a chaotic mess. Either way, it takes courage to walk Pynchon's road. Those that have with Gravity's Rainbow emerge with a text-book, a comic-book, an encyclopedia, a porno mag, a Magic-Eye poster, an acid trip, a raging erection, blue balls, scientific know-how and not-how, a new mythology and a new history. Some of us have even emerged with a Bible that explains our world back to us, and points an angry, slighted finger out of the muck towards an uncompromising and honestly uncertain hope. Isn't that worth the price of admission?
Rating: 
Summary: If I only had one month to devote to this book.
Review: Pynchon is frustrating to read - he often requries too much effort on the part of the reader. For those who tough it out though, this book is without peer. Pynchon's prose is electric and his powers of descripiton, while maddeningly vague at times, are incredible. If you are a serious reader you should at least try to read GR. If you want to work up to it, try Pynchon's fabulous novel V.
Rating:
Summary: No option for negative stars? This one would qualify.
Review: This is by far the WORST book I have ever read. I never understood why there were people out there who hated reading, I now feel a fellowship with them. I purchased this book after seeing comparisons between it and works such as Cryptonomicon, and the Illuminatus Trilogy. I was soooo misguided. Books like this give hope to amateur writers such as myself.. If they'll waste the paper to publish garbage like this, they'll possibly give me a chance.
Rating:
Summary: an arduous, rewarding task of a novel!
Review: Last summer, it was DeLillo's UNDERWORLD, and this summer, I managed to tackle GRAVITY'S RAINBOW in about six weeks. Both books feature a deeply convoluted narrative style often compared to Joyce, although I couldn't always see those parallels. In fact, I couldn't always follow the action in GR too well. But, just when I thought I had lost my way through the morass, Pynchon would drop in some verbal clues to bring the story back from the depths of total confusion. The most masterful writing takes place when an author maintains command over apparent chaos, and Pynchon clearly ranks with the greatest in this regard. I've only read GR and Lot 49 so far, but I am planning to read the rest of his rather sparse output to try and fully observe "the big picture" conveyed in Pynchon's art. In essence, I recommend GRAVITY'S RAINBOW on the basis of its deep, tapestry-like layers of meaning and imagery, as well as the good, old-fashioned literary challenge with which the reader will be faced. Just give yourself a month or two, and don't read anything else during that time (like cereal boxes, newspapers, etc).
Rating:
Summary: Imagination overload
Review: Too big for some, a wee bit small for some more, and just right for Goldilocks.This is surely a majestic piece o'work, even if the message/hymn/prayer is occasionally lost in translation. Remember Kids, only you can prevent forest fires.
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