Negative reviews of GR

[Ya Sam]

for example, are actually fun. Sometimes I really enjoy reading the worst 
comments about the works I like. I wish I could dig up some negative 
professional reviews of GR in the 1970s or Ulysses in the 1920s, or Moby 
Dick at the time of its publication, for that matter. By looking at the 
arguments of people who hate GR I realise why I like it so much. Maybe I'm 
oversimplifying but the basic problem with people who don't like it is that 
they don't like the inevitable mental exercise, substituting "I HATE IT" for 
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT". Attention-span deficit also takes its toll.

"An entire novel centered on the unrealistic, flimsy idea that a man getting 
erections will attract missiles? Some missiles may be heat seaking but the 
temperature of blood found in the groin during erections is no longer near 
the degree it takes to attract heat seaking weaponry. Get your facts right, 
Pynchon. A scientist you ain't. As for the books social commentary on a 
whole, I can say this: I have not read the book, but I watched the film, and 
to be blunt, I've seen better film on teeth. Pick up a classic Steven King 
novel like IT instead of this pretentious crud."

"This is by far the WORST book that I have ever read in my entire life! I 
found it frustratingly hard to follow so much that I found myself asking why 
in the world am I reading this? and Is Pynchon crazy? There is no 
discernable plot and I found that Slothrop and his sexual exploits to be 
obscene and disgusting. I honestly preferred J.G. Ballard's Crash to this 
book."

"Very overblown, hard to read and all over the place. The attempts at humor 
fall flat, and the overall tone, style and pace are jerky and inconsistent. 
In a word, I think this novel is unreadable. If you like this style and want 
to see how it should really be done, try Philip K. Dick's VALIS or A SCANNER 
DARKLY. Those two books make Gravity's Rainbow look like the convoluted 
rantings of a rank amateur."

"I have read Pynchon's stuff at least partly out of loyalty to a fellow 
Cornellian, but this was very heavy lifting, indeed. I only finished it 
beacuse I was on jury duty. Slogging through (is this the derivations of 
Slothrup?) this book reminded me of reading "An American Tragedy" in high 
school: I kept wondering why anyone thought this was a great work. For a 
MUCH more enjoyable, clever and funny book with real characters that covers 
very similar territory (and has more up-to-date references) try Neal 
Stephenson's Cryptomicon."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0140188592/ref=cm_rev_sort/102-4310607-9589700?customer-reviews.sort_by=%2BOverallRating&s=books&x=7&y=10

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