Rating: 
Summary: THE BOMB!
Review: The only successful sequel to 'Moby Dick'...yup, this isn't a missprint. The paranoia of the intelligence world, life and twentieth century culture...read the first few pages for a taste of what Pynchon is writing about...unintelligible? Nope: it's birth that is being described, the last lines of the book is death...it is a connection to the start of the book: the cycle, arc, fractured light or rainbow of existence mired with wanting a way out. An idea borrowed from Finnegans Wake.
Rating:
Summary: The answer?
Review: Can something be described by referring to everything it is *not*? Could you do such a thing with say, the answer to the Problem of Western Civilization? Maybe this makes GR a kind of Anti-Bible, the Zero to Scripture's 1, teaching with wrongs not rights. No lepers get healed, but some poor sap gets castrated. Or do I drift into hyperbole? To everyone who couldn't get past the first page, Pynchon puts his purpose right there: this book is not an unraveling, but a progressive "knotting into." Let that be your warning, or guide, and go for it. Then read Mason & Dixon: 6 out of 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Boy does it suck!
Review: So I decided to buy and read this book because of some book reviews that compared Neal Stephenson, of Cryptonomicon fame, to Thomas Pynchon. This was a huge mistake because as far as I can tell there is no comparison, Stephenson can write and Pynchon can't, he just masterbates into a typewriter and manages to peddle the results to an obviously credulous sector of the publishing industry who are desperate to be included in the ranks of some group of modern literati or other. Non-linear narrative is fine, but quite frankly Willam S. Burroughs did it better in Naked Lunch, interesting ideas are fine, but quite frankly they don't carry a book unless there is some framework around them, something like a plot and some decent characterization. If you want something that will blow your mind a lot further than Pynchon will then get Naked Lunch, or Phillip K. Dick's , The Transmogrification of Timothy Archer, A Scanner Darkly or Radio Free Albemuth and avoid Pynchon.
Rating:
Summary: Esoteric and arrogant
Review: I gave this book a good fight, but broke down 100 pages from the end. The book ceases to have any plot about 200 pages from the end -- just a series of essays it seems. It's too bad because I was interested for a while. I've heard this book described as "literary masturbation". I agree with that assessment.
Rating:
Summary: This book will change your life!
Review: It's more than a novel, of course--it's an experience. A few suggestions to first time readers: 1) do not, I repeat, *do not* refer to annotations or any other academic ramblings on the first read. This point is essential if the novel's venom is ever to seep under your skin. I don't care how many degrees you have, where you went to school, etc., the first time you read this novel it must be an act of faith that becomes a direct experience in the making. Later on, if you want to engage the lit-crits in their game, then by all means read all their po-mo stuff on Pynchon. But always remember--Pynchon did not write this novel to serve as a topic for some grad student's dissertation. 2) Embrace chaos (not as easy as it sounds). 4) Re-read periodically over a specific period of time (you'll figure out exactly how long). 5) And finally, to quote a famous rock song, "Roll with the changes to get to what's real."
Rating:
Summary: GR altered my conceptions of what a novel should do.
Review: I fought tooth and nail through almost every page in this book, at a time in my life where I needed to be knocked out of a rut. It definitely did the trick! It made me re-evaluate my art(music), and to some extent my whole life. If you've read any other of Pynchon's novels, you owe it to yourself to tackle this bad boy. Not only is the writing style brilliant and witty, but the payoff of following the threads and working to catch the allusions is immense. When you're done, take a break then move on to "V." If you haven't read anything else by the Man, check out "Crying of Lot 49". A great intro. and a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: The rocket never quite lands
Review: This book is full of potential, but it never quite works out. This novel is about as hard to explain to somebody as "Catch-22." I was expecting GR to be some "Finnegans Wake," some amazing but unreadable text. But I found it easy to comprehend, and was actually a little let down by Pynchon's writing style. But this novel is filled with amazing twists and turns for the first 300 pages. What is Slothrops connection to the Rocket? Who are They? Is he always being watched? And what happens if he isn't being watched? These questions all aim at the motif of paranoia and conspiracy, which infers that They, or Something, is controlling everything. Characters like Pointsman, Weissman and Blicero make this seem so. But once Slothrop escapes Their eye, the book drags for about 250 more pages. He goes through a series of characters and drug induced behavior that is quite boring. The book is also filled with lots of pointless smut. There is lots of sex in this novel, but for what reason? Because Pynchon thought he could get away with it? Also, it seems that many of the concepts proposed by Pynchon in GR were already established ideas in William S. Burroughs' "Naked Lunch" and his Nova Trilogy, except (if you can believe this) Pynchon renders these ideas in less poetic and cut up language. The last section of GR was the most metafictional. It revives the book from the boredom of the previous 250 pages, but it is not enough to make it the classic it is purported to be. To make a long story short : GR is worth it for the ideas [the links between reality, fiction, and control], but the story and the characters, for all the emphasis they are given, aren't that exciting or worthy. Adventure seekers should definitely read this novel.
Rating:
Summary: QUIT YOUR WHINING RETARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Now I'm 14 years old and with the help of Weisenburger's companion, I can read and understand this book just fine. I really don't see what the big deal is, the novel is just simply an aquired taste that you have to read for a little while and get used to. Pynchons writing style is different to say the least (I'll admit that), but after 100 or so pages you get used to his form and really start to appreciate it's poetic beauty. You're actually in these people's heads, and the narrative is broken because human thought is so all over the place. It's a brilliant Joycian technique that keeps everything interesting and fresh. Now I realize this book is long (I still have yet to finish it after 3 months, page 634), but I wouldn't want it other way. This is a desert island piece, made to serve many purposes and meanings (or none at all). There is somewhat of a plot, but I'll let you find it yourself. And true, this book is quite a marathon, and only the dedicated will ever get it done.I found the only way to do this is to develope some sort of pattern in your reading so that you can get through it. I would read a section (2-50 pages depending) at a time and never worry about getting through the whole chapter or book. This probably allowed me to keep my sanity and keep up interest in the novel. You however should create your own pace. Overall, this is without a doubt the greatest reading expieriance that I have yet to have (14 years let me remind you). This book can be long and boring yes, but on the other hand you have to remember through the bad parts how zany and entertaining most of the book is. It's fun people, fun for intelectuals, and that is what reading is about, FUN!!!! If there is something that you don't understand, move on and come back to it another day. You'll never be able to understand it all, so as I said, MOVE ON. This is an incredible work of art that with the help of a companion piece (Weisenburger's) can be 'almost' totally enjoyed by many. Give it a chance if you consider yourself a skilled reader (or just a lover of good books), and please, for all of you naysayers out there, QUIT YOUR GODDAMN WHINING, and let all of us just simply enjoy a great book.
Rating:
Summary: ummm, i think it's great
Review: by far the most compelling book i've ever read, the most difficult, the strangest and at times most moving piece of fiction out there...i'm not sure if i've grasped even a fraction of what i could, but i'm left with profound respect and awe...everyone who criticizes GR has been critical in all the wrong ways, sez me
Rating:
Summary: What a disaster
Review: I've tried three times to read this book...the farthest I've gotten is about 20 pages. As I read, my mind drifts to other things. This book is boring and overwritten. The English language is best written blunt, direct, to-the-point, in clear simple language. To sum it up: it is too much work to read this book.
|
