GR precis in Beowulf on the Beach

[Richard Romeo]

What a moron

Sent from my iPod

On Jul 19, 2009, at 8:45 AM, Peter Petto <ppetto at ppetto.com> wrote:

> Gravity's Rainbow is one of literature's 50 greatest hits in this  
> book by Jack Murnighan detailing what to love and what to skip in  
> each. Murnighan has previously written books detailing sex scenes  
> and naughty bits from great books. I noticed it on one of the front  
> tables in Borders last night after seeing the Harry Potter movie.
>
> Sections for each book include: the buzz, what people don't know  
> (but should), best line, what's sexy, quirky fact, and what to skip.
>
> Here are two of these for GR:
>
>> The Buzz: “A screaming came across the sky”—one of the most  
>> famous and oft-quoted first lines of a modern novel. But next time 
>>  you hear someone quote it, ask him (it will almost certainly be a 
>>  him) about the bananas (which occur on page 4). Don’t be surprise 
>> d when he has no idea what you’re talking about.
>>
>> What to Skip: I’m afraid there’s not much you can miss if you  
>> want to have any idea of what’s going on in the rest. That said, y 
>> ou can certainly skim Slothrop following the mouth harp down the j 
>> azz club toilet (71–81)—it’s racist and utterly baffling  
>> (though it prefigures Ewan McGregor’s character diving for the sup 
>> positories in Trainspotting). Also skim Roger’s disjointed and uni 
>> nteresting thoughts during the choir (151–59). And, I hate to say  
>> it, but skim or skip the above-mentioned orgy scene, which, unless 
>>  you’re especially into that sort of thing or want to laugh along  
>> at its slapstick execution, is by far the least literary (and down 
>> right clumsy) part of the book. Oh, and that crazy banana scene at 
>>  the beginning—what’s that about?
>
>
> ===
>
> Peter Petto <ppetto at ppetto.com>
> Bay Village, OH
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