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Wraith of J.O.I. posted:been meaning to read pynchon for a while and quarantine seems lie a good opportunity to do so...... what's the consensus best/people's fave? gravity's rainbow, yeah? thinking of starting there I agree with what Kefahuchi_son already mentioned, but I'd add that Gravity's Rainbow is also perfectly fine to start with itself. If you're hesitant and really just want to dip a toe in first, then The Crying of Lot 49 is a short self contained narrative. It has a few more Pynchon-y digressions than Inherent Vice (which is basically pynchon does The Long Goodbye), but structurally it's not too crazy. I also really enjoyed Mason & Dixon, but it's different enough from his other books that I wouldn't recommend it for the consensus choice.
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May 4, 2020 14:58
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Wraith of J.O.I. posted:anyone read vineland? the 60s hippies --> 80s reaganites plot/synopsis sounds right up my alley I did read it, but it was ages ago and I was still in high school; I think a lot of it went over my head. I don't remember it being bad though. If the plot seems like your thing I'd say go for it.
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May 4, 2020 17:58
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Just finished The Black Jacobins by CLR James. It was probably the best history book I've ever read. It's also the first explicitly Marxist history I've read, so that's probably why. A lot of effort goes in to highlighting class interest in the slave trade, but James also goes into some depth on the personal foibles and flaws of the key actors. The tone can be very conversational, but then when the text zooms out a little to look at the entire stage, James has really excellent rhetoric that reminds you of the brutality and bloodiness of the capitalist system, and the complete lack of empathy from Napoleon and the bourgeoisie in the face of their own interest. If anybody's got any similar recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
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Jan 20, 2021 14:45
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