sex scene commentary / book commentary in general (ATD)

[gp]

I remember someone mentioning that the sex scenes seemed - I don't
remember the exact words - awkward, later in the book.

(spoiler, for those who haven't finished)

I have to disagree, firstly.  I think they fit just as much, though
your perception of an author's right to discuss such matters in such a
way may have changed ("right" makes this comment seem stronger than I
intend it to be - I'm not attacking anyone's views here).

But further, the scene with Cyprian, Yashmeen, and Reef, and finally
(I just got to this point) where she realizes she's pregnant by Reef
(and, at the same time, Cyprian, in a sense) definitely fits the theme
of "if you come to a fork in the road, take it" (i.e. being in two
places at once) and ultimately the concept of Iceland Spar.

I think the middle of the book is a bit of a gulag of mathematical
phrases that I'm not ashamed to admit lost me...  I was beginning to
worry.  But it emerged to become just as great as the beginning.  Just
like GR did in part three (for me) - which, upon second, third, etc
readings revealed layers of meaning that were, on that first reading,
entirely missed.

I don't think reviewers are wrong to say certain things against the
book since, as I said in reply to another topic, reviews are for the
mass market, and this is not something a mass market audience could
handle (this is just brass tacks, folks) and that middle - man, if you
were reading this book on a deadline - for work, not pleasure - could
you really have written a glowing review if this were your only
knowledge of Pynchon?  If you didn't have prior experience to back up
and idea like "trust me, I know it's good, even if I don't get it
right now".  I wasn't certain, in the middle there, that I would ever
read it again - and now I feel that I most certainly will, again and
again, and that it might be every bit as great as Gravity's Rainbow
was.  Yeah, I said it.  It's up there.

I think I'm going to save a re-read for when the paperback comes out,
however, because as all those reviewers so astutely pointed out, this
hardcover is a bit ungainly...  paperbacks are generally more
forgiving as far as handling goes, in my opinion.