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From: wilson_3@h-sc1.UUCP (bradford wilson)
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Re: Thomas Pynchon
Message-ID: <947@h-sc1.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Feb-86 05:02:57 EST
Article-I.D.: h-sc1.947
Posted: Wed Feb 19 05:02:57 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Feb-86 06:13:26 EST
References: <25@rtgvax.UUCP> <156@epimass.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center
Lines: 29

> In article <25@rtgvax.UUCP> ramin@rtgvax.UUCP (Pantagruel) writes:
> >Any self-respecting Thomas Pynchon readers out there...?
> >If you have Gravity's Rainbow phobia stay out of it...
> 
> I read and enjoyed "V" and "Gravity's Rainbow" and am not ashamed.  But
> then I enjoy players of literary mind games like John Barth and Kurt
> Vonnegut (though some literary types are no doubt aghast that I'd
> put Vonnegut in the same category as Barth and Pynchon because he's
> easier to read).

           Bravo! "Gravity's Rainbow" is one of the more significant works
of 20th century literature (and will eventually be reecognized as such).
What makes Pynchon more sophisticated than Vonnegut is both his style, esp.
use of tense and person, and the wide range of material he draws upon
to form his literary-imagery melange.
           I read "Rainbow" before reading Pynchon's other stuff; I would
probably recommend that others try "The Crying of Lot 49" first. It is MUCH
shorter, and you should be able to tell if you can stand him in large doses.

           Please Email me if you try reading Pynchon because of these
postings, or if you seriously loathe him and hold him in contempt -- I'd
be interested to know WHY!

                                DIRE wolf

                     aka h-sc1!wilson_3@harvard
                     formerly Wombat .:.
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"Put down that axe, Mr. Scary, and come with us."