Barthelme / book rec?/ if you enjoyed P, try these

[Dave Monroe]

... and I'd add the following:

--William Gaddis, The Recognitions

--Harry Mathews, The Conversions

--John Barth, Giles Goat-Boy

--Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon

... the Gaddis and Mathews books are likely influences on Pynchon, and,
certainly, partake of certain of Pynchon's interests, obsessions, what
have you.  The Barth book (one might also suggest The End of the Road,
or L.E.T.T.E.R.S., or ...) is at least of the era.   The Stephenson,
while perhaps, for a 700 or whatever page novel, might actually prove a
bit of light reading, is nonetheless indebted to Gravity's Rainbow, for
starters, and is at least engaging and entertaining.  One might indeed
learn something from it.  far better than his, er, "straight" SF.  For
cryptology fans, at least, a la Richard Powers' The Goldbug Variations
....

Vivek Ahlawat wrote:

> I would recommend these to a Pynchon fan:
>
> 1) Life: A Users Manual by Georges Perec
>
> 2) Discovery of Heaven: Harry Mulisch (*****) One of
> the very best of the living Europeans.
>
> 3) Women: Phillipe Sollers
>
> 4) The Wind Up Bird Chronicle: Haruki Murakami
>
> All are big, complex and you can use several of the
> adjectives used to describe Pynchon and the Pynchon
> polarized writers like Vollmann, Wallace, Powers, Tom
> Boyle et al in States.
>
> Also, more recommendations from others would be
> welcome to dust our lists.
>
> Vivek
>
>
>
> --- Brian Whitman <bwhitman at crudites.org> wrote:
> >
> > I'm very sorry to be using this List for such inane
> > and selfish things!
> > But who knows-- I have recently devoured all I could
> > of Donald Barthelme's
> > work. I find his short stories absolutely wonderful,
> > especially "The Big
> > Radio Broadcast of 1938" which I found a
> > particularly touching love story.
> > Also loved "Snow White" and all that. Would love to
> > get more, but I've
> > read them all and he's no longer with us :(
> >
> > Am going on vacation in a bit and want to bring a
> > book. Was going to bring
> > a P book but I want to expand a bit more. So here's
> > my personal ad: "M
> > seeks big Book for long sets on beach, quiet nights.
> > Likes: Pynchon, D
> > Barthelme, some DF Wallace, books about video game
> > comapnies or cats.
> > Dislikes: most science fiction, pop science nonfic."
> >
> >
> > --
> > Brian Whitman
> > bwhitman at crudites.org
> > Crudites Sound Ventures
> >
> >
> >
>
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