Wow, for this guy, Pynchon is not too dense for subway reading....

[Mark Kohut]

Due to the constant harassment one must endure, there is only a specific type of book I can read on the train: in addition to being light (no Tolstoy and no anthologies) the ideal subway book must have short chapters, must be about an uncomplicated subject, and must not be written too densely.  Post-Modern novels are good—I read Murakami and Pynchon this way—as are short story and essay collections—I’m currently carrying around Orhan Pamuk, which I recently discussed.  In other words, you need something that doesn’t require a lot of concentration because the MTA is committed to not allowing more than two peaceful minutes to pass on its subway cars.