Is it as bad as people say it is?
No, but it's more on the conventional side and it does not consistently flash prose at you.
If you're looking for something like Gravity's Rainbow then you'll absolutely hate it. It reads something like a detective potboiler with the occasional Pineconeisms slipped in.
>>7642470
What's a pineconeism?
>>7642511
I just realized you meant Pynchonisms.
No. But Pynchon is such a shvantz in this book. Don't bother.
>>7642519
>shvantz
do explain
It's a poorly cobbled together string of 90s references and 9/11 conspiracy theories.
I think it is genuinely terrible, and I love everything else Pynchon has written, Vineland thru his disowned short stories.
Bleeding Edge just made me wince.
>>7642570
He probably means "Schwanz", which is german for dick.
>>7644248
Sounds like phonetic english spelling of a word anon heard in german. I see no problem here
I don't know, I only bought the book because I heard there was a reference to Metal Gear and a footjob scene.
>>7644248
Because W sounds like V in German. It's self explanatory. In fact, the Austrian accent has an even heavier sound.
> mfw no one gets the surprise ending to Bleeding Edge
WTF!
>>7644053
I don't know how you can like Vineland more than even this. It's easily the worst thing he's done outside of juvenilia. This is the second worst, maybe, but still.
I thought Bleeding Edge was a pretty good book, I've read it 3 times. Lots of interesting bits, relevant to our lives, and a decent length. But yeah, it does slightly lack that Pynchon flair. And it's written in the present tense, what the fux.
>>7644444
FATHER QUINTS HAS SPOKEN
Best book about the Internet ca. 10 years ago there is, understands it without being too cheesy, esp. seeing that it comes from a 70, 80-year old guy.
And that "Meddelin kids" joke is the bomb
it's good, but not that good for pynchon
>>7644472
>Best book about the Internet ca. 10 years ago there is
This. I don't love it, maybe it hasn't aged enough yet, but the fact that every other novel based on the internet era has been going worse about it than this one book based on its beginnings must be saying something in its favor.
It's a great book but Pynchon's characters suck ass like in almost every novel of his except Mason & Dixon.
Pynchon's novels are carried by their ideas expressed well in unique prose.
I liked the statement Pynchon made with it about 9/11 making people more sincere
>>7644553
>reading for characters
hahaha stay pleb fag
>>7644553
I like Weissmann
I like Pig Bodine
I like Slothrop
I like the pseudofreudian face-making psychanalist
.
Yah M&D aside that's about it
Kojima is god
>>7644444
Vineland's latter half falls apart, but it has a lot of great stuff in it too. It's certainly some of Pynchon's most mature writing at parts. The novel just feels very uneven and unfinished. Could have done without all the kung fu shit.
Read it yourself and form your own opinion you fucking sheep.
>>7644553
I disagree. I think plebs just don't see any character because they're struggling so much. My second time reading GR the main characters really took clear definition.
