Reddit to Group Read Gravity's Rainbow

[Monte Davis]

Yes, that Geddes 'Satirist' piece -- and Michael Bell's "Some Things That
'Happen'." to which it links -

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20021114233427/www.williams.edu/Individuals/mbell
/RAINBOW.HTM

 

are the best brief "ways in" to GR that I've seen. Bell doesn't expatiate on
the cartel theme as Geddes does, but his choice of quotations - many just
phrases and clauses -- is perfect.

 

From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of Rev'd Seventy-Six
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2013 9:39 AM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: Reddit to Group Read Gravity's Rainbow

 

"GR in less than a month means skimming, not reading."

My recent reread of GR took 70 days at a stop-start pace w/ plenty of pauses
for research and the occasional several-day break need to finish a painting,
segment of script, or draw more comix.  Love that book but it cuts into my
productivity worse than the internet.  

This was also indispensible:
http://www.thesatirist.com/books/GravitysRainbow.html

Someone on Plist recommended it; I forget whom.  To whomever, bless you.
Pynchon's novels tend to have so many moving parts it's hard to keep the
entire mechanism in focus, y'know?  Which is why I am absolutely floored by
Bekah's claim to've devoured ATD in 4 days.

I also used Zak Smith's GR as a companion of sorts, though I wouldn't
recommend that for everyone.  Sometimes his linework takes more unpacking
than P's prose.  Not that Zak contributed to my read taking longer than it
would normally...  Just backstrain from lugging around all those brick-sized
books.

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