I finally finished Gravity's Rainbow!!!
It took me half a year, but I finally reached the finish line. Did anyone else take this long reading this behemoth? What is everyone's thoughts on the ending? Should it have explained more, or is the lack of explanation all the more realistic? I'm curious to hear from both those who loved and hated it. Also, what do I read next: more Pynchon, or Infinite Jest?
i'm about 220 pages in after 2 weeks of reading it and the more i read the less i understand anything. maybe i should've started with V. or CLo49.
>>8127871
It took me a month or two. Read Ulysses next if you haven't already, that's what I did.
>>8127888
V is Very understandable.
>>8127888
I used this readers guide after every chapter to make sure I caught everything necessary. I never would have reached the ending and understood it without this. It doesn't give spoilers while explaining things, either.
http://www.math.harvard.edu/~ctm/links/culture/rainbow.bell.html
>>8127888
The book evens out difficulty-wise after the first 300 pages. Just keep with it.
stop reading and wallow somewhere for a while
the ending is beautiful
imo the end is about nuclear war
the parallel 1970's timeline ends with a loud siren and then we cut back to the v2 landing. it's like montage film editing, it seems obvious to me that it is not only the v2 landing but a nuke landing circa 1970 and not only alongside the v2 but because of the v2
What drugs does one need to take to go full Slothrop/Weissmann?
>>8127896
Also, on the ending: I absolutely loved it. It was devastating and brought everything right around full circle. It can be interpreted in a number of ways, but I see the explanation of what the schwarzgerat was as showing that the entire story was guided by the evil, transcendent power Weissman/Blicero invoked through the human sacrifice of his boy "bride", though ironically, that sort of madness was most "pure" and honest influence there was to be had in the Zone.
>>8127901
thanks
Why are there no Gravity's Rainbow memes?
>>8127947
Because there are about 15 of us tops who've actually read it from cover to cover. The rest either dismissed it as a meme book or gave up at one point or another.
Gravity's Memebow
I loved the Enzian and Tchitcherine storyline. Everyone's goal or motivation was either reached without a real climax or completely dissolved except Blicero.
I really liked the cyclical structure of the novel. Another structural thing I absolutely loved was how the characters appearances were sort of equidistant from one another.
It's a book that I can't wait to reread.
>>8128016
You should give the audiobook a listen sometime, it's really well done, and is a nice way to re-experience it from another angle after a first reading.
>>8128031
Wow, a GR audiobook sounds pretty wild. I've never actually listened to an audiobook before. I'd imagine the songs are pretty great. The penis he thought was his own was probably my favorite song throughout, shit was hilarious
>>8128036
Well..the songs are more recited in a vaguely song-like manner rather than actually sung, but it still works.
>>8128053
Hey man I'll take what I can get... Is there one you'd recommend? I don't know if there are a few different ones or anything
>>8127871
if it took you 6 moths to read GR, than IJ will probably take you an entire year.
>>8128060
Infinite Jest is a super easy read, just long. GR is shorter, but much more difficult.
>>8128057
I don't know if there's more than one version. The one I downloaded was the penguin audiobook narrated by George Guidall (sp?). He really nails the tone of it, I think.
>>8127901
But this is pointless.... Unless you're only reading for plot, which in the case of a book like Gravity's Rainbow is pointless, a reading guide wont help you get the most out of a book; you wont gain in understanding.
>>8128191
It just helps me keep track of the huge cast. I need help with the plot more than any other part, just so I remember who people are when a chapter begins. Certain characters will get one or two chapters, then disappear for 300+ pages.
>>8128191
Nobody said anything about only reading for plot. A reading guide like this only helps clarify the more confusing and/or technical parts of the book. Care to explain how this won't help me gain in understanding?
>>8127901
>[This guide was originally created around 1980, when I assigned Gravity's Rainbow as the final reading (on which a final paper was required) in a Williams College course called "Images of History in American Literature"--and then recognized that I'd better do more than I'd planned to help my students actually get through the book!
heh
