/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.19702428]

What does /lit/ think of Against the Day? Is this one of the Pynchon novels that require a lot of outside resources to really appreciate the text or is it only difficult in terms of its length? I heard the prose is pretty accessible.

[Anonymous No.19702457]

>>19702428
I read the first half as an exercise before diving into GR, it's written in a pulpy prose that makes it relatively easier to get into, but still has his byzantine style that can be a bit much to wrap your head around if you haven't read "Literature" before. Long as fuck though

[Anonymous No.19702476]

>>19702428
None of his books requires a lot of outside resources to appreciate.

[Anonymous No.19702879]

You should Google wtf an iceland spar is and how it affects light before reading the second part

[Anonymous No.19702900]

Wait, should I read this before reading GR? I'm most interested in this but I assumed it would be more difficult given its length.
I've only read Lot 49, was planning on doing V. then GR

[Anonymous No.19702904]

>>19702900
Gravity's Rainbow is his most difficult book by far.

[Anonymous No.19702954]

>>19702904
M&D

[Anonymous No.19702973]

>>19702954
No, Mason & Dixon isn't particularly difficult. Adjusting to the style might take a little while but once you do that it's smooth sailing. Even Against the Day is more difficult than Mason & Dixon. Unless English isn't your native language. Then I can see Mason & Dixon being the most difficult of all.

[Anonymous No.19702991]

>>19702973
nah you're full of shit

[Anonymous No.19703007]

>>19702973
May I ask what makes Gravity's Rainbow difficult?

[Anonymous No.19703017]

>>19703007
It's not difficult, just hard as in my dick gets hard from the prose

[Anonymous No.19704375]

>>19702428
>>american lit
I?TS SHIT YOU FUCKING CUNT

[Anonymous No.19704629]

>>19702991
No I'm not. Maybe I'm just more familiar with the late 18th century style than you are or something because it's really not anywhere near as difficult as Gravity's Rainbow.

>>19703007
The plot can get very confusing, especially in the second part, and he likes to show off his encyclopedic knowledge so there are all sorts of references you might not understand. But it does become more digestible near the end.

[Anonymous No.19704813]

>>19702428
It’s way too long. It’s the only Pynchon I struggled to finish. In my opinion it adopts a similar structure as gravity’s rainbow but doesn’t deliver as well. If you like super explicit gay sex scenes it may be for you, at least in GR the sex was hetero

[Anonymous No.19704864]

>>19702428
It's mostly difficult due to the text. Lots of information but also its pretty self contained

[Anonymous No.19704885]

>>19704864
*length not text

[Anonymous No.19704905]

>>19702457
>Byzantine style

I like this description but what does this even mean when referring to literature?

[Anonymous No.19704911]

>>19702973
I agree. It took me 50-100 pgs to get used to the prose, but after that it was the easiest Pynchon book I’ve read, even easier than IV

[Anonymous No.19705133]

>>19702428
The only thing "difficult" is some of the period vocabulary. Just have a dictionary handy and you'll be fine.
>>19702879
You should be googling everything you don't understand as you read the book.
>>19702457
>>19704905
>byzantine style
It doesn't mean anything, and anyone who says it hasn't actually read Pynchon and is just quoting his Wikipedia entry.

[Anonymous No.19705359]

What does /lit/ think of Vineland? Is this one of the Pynchon novels that require a lot of outside resources to really appreciate the text or is it only difficult in terms of its length? I heard the prose is pretty accessible

[Anonymous No.19705420]

>>19705133
uh huh okay bud