Newbies, what to read first

[The Great Quail]

Just for the record, I am one of those folks who believes it¹s best to read
COL49 and V. *before* GR.

Although I certainly agree that GR was "written to be read," and that you
can go in "cold" and still enjoy it thoroughly, there's no getting around
the fact that it *is* a bit difficult, both in terms of style and thematic
material. I believe that reading the previous two novels is just good
preparation. I mean, reading GR for the first time is something of a big
deal -- hell, it's very density and complexity has entered our cultural
mythology -- so anyone who really wants to commit shouldn't have much of a
problem reading two shorter novels first. Additionally, V. introduces some
characters and situations that return in GR; while GR is hardly a "sequel,"
I think a reader can feel more resonance with Mondaugen, Pig Bodine, and the
Herero after having first absorbed V. Finally, as somebody mentioned, COL49
and V. serve as good introductions to basic Pynchonian themes.

--Quail, whose favorite P books is actually "M&D."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Great Quail, Keeper of the Libyrinth:
http://www.TheModernWord.com

"Book! you lie there; the fact is, you books must know your places.
You'll do to give us the bare words and facts, but we come in to
supply the thoughts."
     --Herman Melville, "Moby Dick"