General TP Reading Question

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

        Bryan Snyder:
         I've only read 2 Pynchon books thus far.  First 
         was Gravity's Rainbow and I just finished 
         Against the Day tonight.

         My question is:  Do I read V. or 
         Mason & Dixon next?

I got my hands on the more recent addition of V., bigger pages, better type than 
the old mass market paperpack I've been carrying around for the last ten years. 
Re-read "V in Love" and was reminded once more why V. is my least favorite 
Pynchon novel. "V. in Love" is essentially a parody recreation of the infamous  
"Rite of Spring" premire/riot/debacle of 1913. I found re-reading that chapter 
best described by the author himself, in the intro to "Slow Learner": "Modern 
readers will be, at least, put off by unacceptable level of racist, sexist, and 
proto-Fascist talk throughout this story." And lets not forget homo- and 
xeno-phobic, while we're at it. On the other hand, There's five copies of the 
original hardbound Mason & Dixon on my shelves (the bookstore where I 
work got them in as remaindered items, I couldn't resist), a book that will take 
me a long, long time to absorb, one of the best things the author has come up 
with so far.

         Bryan:
         Sorry to bug the list, but it is a part of my daily 
         routine nowadays and well. The voluntary 
         collective response that I receive would bear 
         true weight.  

Well, throw my response in with Mr. Monroe's. The Crying of Lot 49 emerges 
(during this third reading of AtD) as particularly connected to Against the Day: 
Gengis Cohen/Grand Cohen, weird postage stamps---anybody want an uncancelled 
1878 Shambahalla?---bizzare magic and a mysterious threat hanging over the 
whole world. Previously (on account of "The Courier's Tragedy) I looked at John 
Dee as the central McGuffin in COL49, Now that I've gotten as far as I have with 
AtD, I can see the relation of Grand and Gengis Cohen. And then there's Vineland, 
where the story of the Traverse family continues. So, partially due to close 
connections to AtD and partially because they are quicker reads, I'd take on COL 49 
and Vineland first.