A Ranking of Pynchon's Novels

[David Morris]

Those that have read all of Pynchon's novels are familiar with each ones
qualities and differences. Thus there is a common unspoken understanding of
the overall picture. But the fact that not everyone agrees that GR is
Pynchon's masterpiece make some of wonder what's wrong with those that
don't. We could start flame wars about these differences. That might be
illuminating, and fun...

David Morris

On Wednesday, July 22, 2015, Conor McDade <fpsconor at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am only a youth, so I apologize for my naivete, but what is the point of
> these lists without providing any insight as to why you listed them in such
> order? Is it simply to see how people's tastes vary?
>
> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 3:29 PM, Chris v <traditionalgb at gmail.com
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','traditionalgb at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>
>> 1. AtD
>> 2. M&D
>> 3. GR
>> 4. VL
>> 5. IV
>> 6. CoL49
>> 7. V.
>> 8. SL
>> 9. BE (haven't read yet)
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 6:19 PM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','mark.kohut at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>
>>> Why doesn't Ms. Jackson (and Thomas) make that happen, you think? Why
>>> wasn't there a 50th Anniversary edition Of V? seems about every modern "
>>> classic" was so " honored" Think Pynchon does not believe in such
>>> anniversary editions?
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Jul 22, 2015, at 3:51 AM, James Robertson <james at themutedposthorn.com
>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','james at themutedposthorn.com');>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I sure wish someone would record an audiobook of V, and Vineland. That
>>> new George Guidall version of GR is marvellous.
>>> On Wed, 22 Jul 2015 at 8:48 pm jochen stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com
>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jstremmel at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> 2nd that!
>>>>
>>>> 2015-07-22 9:55 GMT+02:00 Heikki R <
>>>> situations.journeys.comedy at gmail.com
>>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','situations.journeys.comedy at gmail.com');>>
>>>> :
>>>>
>>>>> 1. Gravity's Rainbow
>>>>> 2. V.
>>>>> 3. Mason & Dixon
>>>>> 4. The Crying of Lot 49
>>>>> 5. Vineland
>>>>> 6. Against the Day
>>>>> 7. Inherent Vice
>>>>> 8. Bleeding Edge
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> In fact, on a couple of occasions, the contestants were
>>>>> shoulder-to-shoulder. But I decided to avoid ties (perhaps for tactical
>>>>> reasons).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Heikki
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 7:02 AM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com
>>>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','fqmorris at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Eaux Contraire!
>>>>>> Inclusion is de facto non-flame. Love is the answer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> David Morris
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tuesday, July 21, 2015, Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com
>>>>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','against.the.dave at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ...  speaking of flame wars ...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 11:04 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> > Elected Officials are all we got in this semi-democracy. Love it
>>>>>>> or Leave
>>>>>>> > it.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > We need to embrace democracy, with all its warts. We are extremely
>>>>>>> lucky to
>>>>>>> > be living in a place where we would want to discuss this
>>>>>>> abstraction.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > David Morris
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > On Tuesday, July 21, 2015, Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>> >> Americans will vote for almost anything except elected officials.
>>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>> >> On Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 9:33 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> > Voting is so American Idol!  I want my choice to win!
>>>>>>> >> > Face facts: Votes aren't gunna be backed up by essays.
>>>>>>> >> > David Morris
>>>>>>> >> >
>>>>>>> >> >
>>>>>>> >> > On Tuesday, July 21, 2015, John Bailey <sundayjb at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>>> >> >> No, it just means that mathematical averages cannot capture the
>>>>>>> >> >> delightful diversity of our responses! Collating the different
>>>>>>> lists
>>>>>>> >> >> into one loses something the way that a plot summary of a P
>>>>>>> novel will
>>>>>>> >> >> never suffice.
>>>>>>> >> >>
>>>>>>> >> >> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 12:10 PM, David Ewers <
>>>>>>> dsewers at comcast.net>
>>>>>>> >> >> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >> > I feel so redundant!
>>>>>>> >> >> >
>>>>>>> >> >> > On Jul 21, 2015, at 6:53 PM Jolly good day we are having,
>>>>>>> John Bailey
>>>>>>> >> >> > wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >> >
>>>>>>> >> >> >> The order seems to remain the same.
>>>>>>> >> >> >>
>>>>>>> >> >> >> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 11:55 AM, David Ewers <
>>>>>>> dsewers at comcast.net>
>>>>>>> >> >> >> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> Me too!
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 1. V.
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 2. Gravity's Rainbow
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 3. Mason & Dixon
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 4/5. Against the Day
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 4/5. Crying of Lot 49
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 6. Vineland
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 7. Inherent Vice
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> 8. Bleeding Edge
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> On Jul 21, 2015, at 6:22 PM Jolly good day we are having,
>>>>>>> Mark
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> Thibodeau
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> I love the diversity of opinions, too, but I'm kind of
>>>>>>> surprised at
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> how bad
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> V. is faring!
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> MT/J
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> On Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 9:08 PM, Ian Livingston
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> <igrlivingston at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> Love the diversity of rankings in rating one great
>>>>>>> author. Rather
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> like six
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> blind men describing an elephant. We each have our
>>>>>>> opinions and
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> our
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> reasons
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> for them. I love GR, I truly do, and it may be the
>>>>>>> greater work
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> for
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> all it
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> did to shape postmodernism, but:
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 1. M&D
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 2. GR
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 3. AtD
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 4. V. / COL 49  (tie)
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 5. Vineland
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 6. BE
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 7. IV
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> 8. Slow Learner
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> On Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 5:48 PM, glenn fuller
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> <glennfuller at sbcglobal.net>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> G.R.
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> A.t.D.
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> T.C.O.L.49
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> Vineland
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> M&D
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> I.V.
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> B.E.
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>> V
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >>>
>>>>>>> >> >> >
>>>>>>> >> >> -
>>>>>>> >> >> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>
>
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