War drives progress and no one notices how detrimental it is too the individual because they are all caught up in the war. Yay, war, look at all it gave us and we won, right? didn't we? Is this what winning is like?
Almost every major technological advancement is made for war. Especially in communications. The telegraph, telephone, radio wave communication, the internet... all were invented as a wartime advantage.
Almost every major technological advancement is made for war. Especially in communications. The telegraph, telephone, radio wave communication, the internet... all were invented as a wartime advantage.
>Slothrop grew up in a hilltop desolation of businesses going under, hedges around the estates of the vastly rich, half-mythical cottagers from New York lapsing back now to green wilderness or straw death, all the crystal windows every single one smashed, Harrimans and Whitneys gone, lawns growing to hay, and the autumns no longer a time for foxtrots in the distances, limousines and lamps, but only the accustomed crickets again, apples again, early frosts to send the hummingbirds away, east wind, October rain: only winter certainties.
Pynchon must have an IQ of 300 to write a sentence that beautiful
I've never read a book where I had less idea what the frick is going on, but still enjoyed it thoroughly. >telling a story about a General getting a haircut >the Italian Private cutting his hair and the Irish Private cranking the generator are exchanging bants >suddenly go off on a 5 page tangeant about how the light bulb he's cranking the generator for is actually an immortal light bulb wanted by a group of GE assassins to protect the profit margin
he does shit like this several times and it's crazy how well it works
>He rose and stood tottering in that cold autistic dark with his arms outheld for balance while the vestibular calculations in his skull cranked out their reckonings.
Is against the day worth the read? The size of the thing and my limited free time are the only reason I ask.
How's it rank on difficulty as well? Loved inherent vice but aware its pynch lite
Honestly, I think I need to go back and read it again, because I don't think I picked up on all the converging character paths. I might need to take notes next time just to keep it all straight.
I had no idea what the frick was going on most of the time, I just rolled with it. It was like a fever dream. Most of the time, I felt like the author was fricking with me for his own amusement. Riding in a hot air balloon, throwing cream pies at fighter planes full of soldiers singing dirty limericks about sticking their dicks in different kinds of electrical equipment. I was entertained, though.
Idk if this is right but I got the feeling that the story matches the prose and that's why it's so well regarded: while Slothrop is tangled up in this twisted web of conspiracy trying to make sense of it all you're simultaneously as the reader tangled up in this twisted web of prose and trying to make sense of the story as well. I guess it was the first book that made me realize that the writing style should match the story to really elevate a book. I remember reading Moby Dick as a teenager because I wanted some kind of Cthulhu Kaiju whale story and being frustrated with all the technical depictions of whaling but after reading Gravity's Rainbow I started to look back at Moby Dick and realized that the drudgery of reading the whaling techniques matched the drudgery of whaling itself.
Yeah, that makes sense. I think one of the things I loved most about it was the recurring theme of "just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean they're not out to get you".
Finally begun reading M&D, I had been debating between this and ATD. Quite happy with my choice so far and curious to see how this pans out. I can't say I know too much about the history behind what takes place in the book but have started looking into it. I have been enjoying the opening setting of the story thus far, by no means did I expect to be presented a Learned English Dog, Curious which of the two (M&D) I will take more of a shining to through the journey What did some of y'all think of M&D?
M&D is arguably better than GR imo. GR definitely has a better plot and overall prose but M&D has the better characters and it’s obvious that Pynchon feels more emotionally connected to them. I think it’s kind of a War and Peace Vs. Anna Karennina situation between them with M&D standing for AK and GR for W&P.
I was into Pynchon years ago and it was my favorite. What I look for in literature has changed and I’ve since come to believe that Pynchon would be much better if he played it straight and got rid of le wackiness.
>On the wall, in an ornate fixture of darkening bronze, a gas jet burns, laminar and gently singing–adjusted to what scientists of the last century called a "sensitive flame": invisible at the base, as it issues from its orifice, fading upward into smooth blue light that hovers several inches above, a glimmering small cone that can respond to the most delicate changes in the room's air pressure. It registers visitors as they enter and leave, each curious and civil as if the round table held some game of chance. The circle of sitters is not at all distracted or hindered. None of your white hands or luminous trumpets here.
War drives progress and no one notices how detrimental it is too the individual because they are all caught up in the war. Yay, war, look at all it gave us and we won, right? didn't we? Is this what winning is like?
I thought it was about Tyrone Slothrop's dick. That mf gets around. The rizzmaster.
War-lover here. I don't believe war drives progress. But that is perhaps a biased view, as I hate progress.
Almost every major technological advancement is made for war. Especially in communications. The telegraph, telephone, radio wave communication, the internet... all were invented as a wartime advantage.
Don't forget about the Wheelbarrow.
>They are in love. Frick the war.
Entropy
The real Schwarzgerät was the friends we made along the way 😀
All art is about the experience of that art.
>Slothrop grew up in a hilltop desolation of businesses going under, hedges around the estates of the vastly rich, half-mythical cottagers from New York lapsing back now to green wilderness or straw death, all the crystal windows every single one smashed, Harrimans and Whitneys gone, lawns growing to hay, and the autumns no longer a time for foxtrots in the distances, limousines and lamps, but only the accustomed crickets again, apples again, early frosts to send the hummingbirds away, east wind, October rain: only winter certainties.
Pynchon must have an IQ of 300 to write a sentence that beautiful
I've never read a book where I had less idea what the frick is going on, but still enjoyed it thoroughly.
>telling a story about a General getting a haircut
>the Italian Private cutting his hair and the Irish Private cranking the generator are exchanging bants
>suddenly go off on a 5 page tangeant about how the light bulb he's cranking the generator for is actually an immortal light bulb wanted by a group of GE assassins to protect the profit margin
he does shit like this several times and it's crazy how well it works
That's not a super impressive sentence.
Write a better one
>He rose and stood tottering in that cold autistic dark with his arms outheld for balance while the vestibular calculations in his skull cranked out their reckonings.
There. Happy?
lammmmmo fricking mccarthy man
No, but I have read much better sentences than that one. Just sayin
What? I didnt get it
you got filtered, son
It’s just schizo rambling on drugs.
it's very eloquent schizo rambling on drugs
got 200 pages into, realized Pynchon is just a loser.
If you're too stupid to have anything to say, why would I discuss it with you?
Is against the day worth the read? The size of the thing and my limited free time are the only reason I ask.
How's it rank on difficulty as well? Loved inherent vice but aware its pynch lite
It's his pulp novel
The dawning of the age of Aquarius
Honestly, I think I need to go back and read it again, because I don't think I picked up on all the converging character paths. I might need to take notes next time just to keep it all straight.
It gets better with every read though there's nothing quite like the confusion you feel the first time
I had no idea what the frick was going on most of the time, I just rolled with it. It was like a fever dream. Most of the time, I felt like the author was fricking with me for his own amusement. Riding in a hot air balloon, throwing cream pies at fighter planes full of soldiers singing dirty limericks about sticking their dicks in different kinds of electrical equipment. I was entertained, though.
That's the beauty of rereads, you pick up on stuff that draws everything closer together.
You're not a careful reader, are you?
Idk if this is right but I got the feeling that the story matches the prose and that's why it's so well regarded: while Slothrop is tangled up in this twisted web of conspiracy trying to make sense of it all you're simultaneously as the reader tangled up in this twisted web of prose and trying to make sense of the story as well. I guess it was the first book that made me realize that the writing style should match the story to really elevate a book. I remember reading Moby Dick as a teenager because I wanted some kind of Cthulhu Kaiju whale story and being frustrated with all the technical depictions of whaling but after reading Gravity's Rainbow I started to look back at Moby Dick and realized that the drudgery of reading the whaling techniques matched the drudgery of whaling itself.
Yeah, that makes sense. I think one of the things I loved most about it was the recurring theme of "just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean they're not out to get you".
Finally begun reading M&D, I had been debating between this and ATD. Quite happy with my choice so far and curious to see how this pans out. I can't say I know too much about the history behind what takes place in the book but have started looking into it. I have been enjoying the opening setting of the story thus far, by no means did I expect to be presented a Learned English Dog, Curious which of the two (M&D) I will take more of a shining to through the journey What did some of y'all think of M&D?
M&D is arguably better than GR imo. GR definitely has a better plot and overall prose but M&D has the better characters and it’s obvious that Pynchon feels more emotionally connected to them. I think it’s kind of a War and Peace Vs. Anna Karennina situation between them with M&D standing for AK and GR for W&P.
I was into Pynchon years ago and it was my favorite. What I look for in literature has changed and I’ve since come to believe that Pynchon would be much better if he played it straight and got rid of le wackiness.
One of my favorite passages
>On the wall, in an ornate fixture of darkening bronze, a gas jet burns, laminar and gently singing–adjusted to what scientists of the last century called a "sensitive flame": invisible at the base, as it issues from its orifice, fading upward into smooth blue light that hovers several inches above, a glimmering small cone that can respond to the most delicate changes in the room's air pressure. It registers visitors as they enter and leave, each curious and civil as if the round table held some game of chance. The circle of sitters is not at all distracted or hindered. None of your white hands or luminous trumpets here.