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/lit/ - Literature

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5838371 No.5838371 [Reply] [Original]

This may be the best book I've ever read. There's just so much to it, but it all comes together without seeming contrived or scatterbrained.

>> No.5838427

when/hoow does it come together?

>> No.5838445

>>5838427
when you realize that V. isn't just one thing or entity, but a representation of the failure of humans to impose a coherent anthropocentric logic on the inanimate world. it's death in a meaningless world, the inevitability of joining the inanimate forever.

>> No.5838514

>>5838427
After Chapter IV.

>> No.5838553

>>5838514
mfw it comes together in chapter V

>> No.5838639

Is Gravitys rainbow like that?

>> No.5838643

I will begin M&D tomorrow
what should I expect? It will be my 1st Pynchon book

>> No.5838758

It's not meant to come together. I was more of a pleb back then but even I could tell that it was Pynchons unpublished short story dumping ground. Although it's probably my favourite book by him.

>> No.5838762

>>5838371

Yes, it's a great book. The siege party chapter is one of the best things I've ever read.

What did you get out of the last paragraph? I'm not sure if I got it.

>> No.5838793

>>5838639
Gravity's Rainbow has overarching themes, yes.

>> No.5838795

>>5838762
>all the meaning in bookz must be in last paragraph hurr.

>> No.5838798

>>5838643
Old style English.

>> No.5838801

>>5838639
Yeah. But it doesn't come together until page 505 (Vintage Anniversary Edition).

>> No.5838803

>>5838795
Are you dumb? I didn't say that.

>> No.5838806
File: 1.43 MB, 1210x3613, Tommy P.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5838806

>>5838643
You should expect to start with V.

>> No.5838810

>>5838762
The ship was destroyed and we learn that Stencil will never solve the mystery.

Also, the ship sinking represents the dot at the end of the title.

>> No.5838825

>>5838803
I just find it funny how most people try to talk about whatever happens on the last page of the novel, or the last paragraph.

When it comes to Pynchon, every single page is littered with symbolism. And in the case of Gravity's Rainbow, the meaning was elucidated over about 100 pages in part four.

>> No.5838835

>>5838801
....explain.

>> No.5838847

>>5838762
pretty sure the point of it was stencil's father dying of an accident even though he was sure he was killed as part of the massive V.-Vheissu-Valletta conspiracy

>> No.5838866

>>5838835
That's just when it came together to me.

Pökler is standing on Ground Zero, where an experimental rocket is supposed to land. But because of the mathematics involved in the test-rocket, it is more likely that it will land anywhere other than at the center of the target area.

...says his superior. Who is not present at the moment for unknown reasons.

Why was he picked to be here? What are they testing? Where is Weismann? Will the rocket hit him? Will it all be over in a flash? Or will the mystery continue?

It just seemed to sum up the general feel/gist of the novel after 504 pages of stuff happening.

>> No.5838874

>>5838806
>disliking the Where's Wally covers
>not realising they're the perfect visual metaphor for Pynchon's themes

>> No.5838881

>>5838874
They're fucking ugly.

>> No.5838893

>>5838881
as is the jumbled disorder of human society, my friend

>> No.5838918

>>5838866
I think the point is that there were so many different industrialized sections in the Mittelwerke working on the rocket, that because of the human chaos, nothing could be exactly precise, you were only worried about propulsion, or yaw control, or oxygen supply, or ballistics, or something.

They were isolated information silos, but they were designed to be that way, the specific knowledge required for each purpose of the rocket was manufactured itself. Someone designed the parts, sure, but someone also designed the divisions, and the knowledge, and the credentials required. Designed chaos.

>> No.5838930

>>5838893

Thanks. I totally didn't get that.

>> No.5838932

>>5838930
You're welcome! Happy to help.

>> No.5838948

>>5838918
Yeah I get that.

Just the idea of standing exactly in the center of the target area because some other people told them the math was for it seemed to sum everything up very nicely about Pökler's chapter.

The fucking paranoia was thick in that chapter.

>> No.5838953

>>5838866
Jesus, what shit stain of an edition do you have?

>> No.5838964
File: 36 KB, 328x505, gravitys-rainbow[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5838964

>>5838953
Literally the best one.

>> No.5838965

>>5838874
>>5838893
>>5838932

They are shit, regardless of what they mean.

I can take a shit, and say "oh look, it shows after our usefulness is all used up all we are is a turd" but it still looks like shit.

Shit covers, all of them. And you have bad taste, a bad taste of shit in your mouth.

>> No.5838967

>>5838445
is there a word to describe gratuitous and overreaching theories that flat out do not work when being laid out in 1-2 sentences?

>> No.5838977

>>5838948
Yeah a constant theme in the novel was random occurrences. Always missing the mark, never hitting the X. The X is one place it would never hit.

And yet, wide swaths of destruction would occur in grouped together places, even though the rockets were not precise. An interesting dilemma.

For instance, when Peenemünde was bombed, the south was hit harder than the north, and when England was bombed, the East was hit and the West remained untouched. Pynchon added a flair of monetary conspiracy here: that the sections not hit were wealthier than those that were.

>> No.5838978
File: 2.01 MB, 2448x3264, image.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5838978

>>5838964
>not having based 1987 Penguin Paperback publishing with original cover artwork

It's literally a direct copy from the hardback that sold through the 70's.

Literally the best.

pic related, its the back cover, and the best.

That gay pride cover is shit.

>not even having the blueprint cover

/lit/ has worst taste in artwork and /mu/ has in music.

>> No.5838982

>>5838978
Give me the ISBN of your pic then.

Do it.

Protip: You can't.

Also, the blueprint is shit.

And yes, the gay pride cover is not very good looking, but the content is the best.

>> No.5838984

>>5838964
And your Pokler ends on 505?

Holy fuck, is there two words per fucking page? Are you reading the old mans version with large text or some shit?

>> No.5839004
File: 1.86 MB, 2592x1944, DSC06074.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839004

>>5838984
There are 902 pages. And the text is normal size.

The Penguin one has text for ants.

>> No.5839023
File: 51 KB, 220x330, 1413434875535.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839023

I have an idea for a project.

Every day, there is a thread for two pages of Gravity's Rainbow.

We then try to decipher as many things as we possibly can from those two pages. After around a year, we will have a complete collected analysis, sentence by sentence, of Gravity's Rainbow.

>> No.5839027
File: 1.84 MB, 2448x3264, image (2).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839027

>>5838982
I got a front cover coming your way. I'll take a picture of ISBN too.

I got it off ebay randomly, didn't like any of the other covers except this one.

I will have pic evidence coming your way.

>> No.5839036

>>5839023
Do it up man

>> No.5839041
File: 1.73 MB, 2448x3264, image (3).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839041

>>5838982
>>5839004

>for ants

You mean for readers. Text that big you might as well learn to read braille.

>> No.5839048

>not having the cover designed by Frank Miller with the picture from a WWII pamphlet on the back.

>> No.5839049

>>5839041
How about posting the actual text instead of the informational page?

>> No.5839056

>>5839048
>owning the worst copy of the book possible
>being proud of missing content

>> No.5839067
File: 2.43 MB, 2448x3264, image (5).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839067

>>5839049
>>5838982

You asked for the ISBN you fucking cock sucker.

>> No.5839068

>>5839056
It's like 6 words. Whoop de doo.

>> No.5839081

>>5838982
0 224 00962 1

>> No.5839082

>>5839067
Why is it underlined, motherfucker?

Also, the text size seems to be the same, so why is the Vintage longer? Because the Penguin has missing content. Only logical conclusion.

>> No.5839083

>>5839067
Pokler's chapter in mine ends....

right around 433

I'll get a picture of that too.

>> No.5839099
File: 2.31 MB, 2448x3264, image (6).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839099

>>5839082
>why is it underlined

I underline passages in books stupid fuck.

>penguine is missing content by 200 pages

Yeah write, cocksucker.

It.is.a.direct.copy.

100% direct copy from the hardback to paperback.

This is in the 80's before all the shit problems GR had in print.

>> No.5839103

>>5839099
>yeah write
>implying you can be trusted on content quality

>> No.5839113

well, I found his humor rather overbearing at first, since I was not aware that Pynchon was considered a comedic writer when I started reading him, but after I got used to it, it grew on me. The quality of his prose is really what kept me going when I felt the wacky/zany type thing was getting too overpowering. I rather liked it in the end.

>> No.5839118

>>5839103
>sooo butthurt at having shit edition
>makes fun of grammatical error

Oh, you're quality.

Goodbye, now.

>> No.5839120
File: 15 KB, 300x215, elainee and testi.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839120

so which is the best version of GR? I started Pynchon with the crying of lot 49 then last year I read Inherent Vice, I'll go into V next, but I want to get GR right now incase books are decreed Haram tomorrow. so again, what is the best and most affordable version? the original's price is fucked. hardcover if possible.

>> No.5839124

>>5839118
>being butthurt that someone else has a better, more up to date copy

>>5839120
There are no modern hardcovers. Your best bet is the Vintage Anniversary Edition from 2013.

>> No.5839130
File: 17 KB, 228x346, gravities ra.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839130

>>5839120
see
>>5838978
>>5839027
>>5839041
>>5839067
>>5839099


If not that one ( and good luck finding one) then pic related.

>> No.5839135

>>5839124
>more up to date

Direct copy, faggot. There is no update unless you faggots actually read after publication edits in which case you are probably fans of the Where's Waldo covers. Bad taste all around. Shit in your mouth.

>> No.5839141
File: 135 KB, 500x738, tumblr_mcpo6tq6t01rxrxxxo1_500[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839141

>>5839130
>penguin shill detected

This one is way better.

>> No.5839163
File: 2.15 MB, 2448x3264, image (7).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
5839163

>>5839141
>vintage anything

The only good thing they ever did with a book was stop taking shit out and putting it back in like they did with Ulysses

pic related.

Can you believe there are actual shills who think the chapters in Ulysses actually have names corresponding with the Odyssey.

This bitch has NO name for chapters. Just a bold word, the way Joyce preferred. Again, OG copy, full restored. None of that faggot abridged shit like you Vintage GR,

>> No.5839182

>thread begins with discussion of the plot and praise for Pynchon's writing
>derails into comparison of cover artwork
oh yeah, I'm on /lit/

>> No.5839184

>>5839163
Actually, Vintage has the best prints of McCarthy books.

And now that you mention it, Vintage never did an abridged Gravity's Rainbow. That was Penguin.

>> No.5839197

>>5839163
>they put a fedora on Ulysses
oh shit my sides top kek

>> No.5839214

>>5839182
All threads on Pynchon derail to 'which is the best edition of Gravity's Rainbow?' or 'I read __ which one I should read next?"

>> No.5839219

>>5839214
Just to think that it could all be solved if people actually read and followed the chart.

>> No.5839250

>>5839067
>underlining a whole fucking page of text

This looks inefficient as fuck.

>> No.5839403

>>5838806
nah

>> No.5839412

>>5839403
Zoot Yorselph.

>> No.5840576

>>5838825
>meaning was elucidated over 100 pages in part 4

Go on...

>> No.5840704

>>5838978
faggot detected