Thomas Pynchon: Where NOT to start (+where to start!)

One of the greatest authors of all time. Undeniable.
For more info on specific titles- • Thomas Pynchon Author ...
Books Mentioned:
V, The Crying of Lot 49, Slow Learner, Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland, Mason & Dixon, Against the Day, Inherent Vice, Bleeding Edge
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[@eidosousia]

If you are into Borges and Pynchon, go for Mircea Cartarescu. One of the greatest european writers alive.

[@eidosousia]

I just saw Blinding on your shelf. Great taste man!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Yes! I just picked it up this year, can't wait to get to it 😎👍

[@eidosousia]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse It is, along with 2666, my favorite contemporary novel, you won't regret it.

[@Mooseman327]

I've read everything Pynchon's written, I believe, (including some magazine pieces yet to be published in a book) and in the order he wrote them. So, I went "V," "Lot 49" and then "Gravity's Rainbow." Worked beautifully for me. So, I recommend starting with "V" when people ask. I don't think you really "get" Pynchon if you start with the later books. "V" is the heart and genesis of Pynchon's writing. And if you REALLY want to do someone a favor, suggest they read Henry Adams' 1900 essay "The Dynamo and the Virgin" from "The Education of Henry Adams" before reading "V." This is truly the source of the overarching theme of ALL of Pynchon's work, as far as I'm concerned. This is what he is continually wrestling with. To me, he is continuing the thought of Henry Adams regarding the masculine power of modern technology and science in the continual and ever-changing juxtaposition with the feminine power of art, religion, and spirituality.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Order of publication is a good default approach 😎

[@bjwnashe5589]

Great comment!

[@avantgardenovelist]

good stuff, thanks.

[@rv.9658]

Name one religion that hasn't ever been male-dominated

[@avantgardenovelist]

@@rv.9658 Late Bronze Age Minoan goddess-worship is one of the ones feminists are attempting to coopt, among others. While still heatedly debated (see "matriarchal religion" in Wikipedia), certainly not (at least yet) an automatic "w" for one dismissing the notion wholesale.

[@CugnoBrasso]

I'm a native Italian speaker and I just finished reading Gravity's Rainbow in English. If I've been able to get something out of it, then everybody can! Don't let its reputation scare you off, there's so much to enjoy!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Yesss! Thanks Cugno!

[@nicoleguarnieri8570]

grazie per questo commento, ti giuro ero un po' titubante a leggerlo in originale vista la sua reputazione e stavo per prenderlo in italiano, ma a questo puntoy mi sa che ci provo dai

[@CugnoBrasso]

@@nicoleguarnieri8570 Scelta migliore! Non sarà una passeggiata, ma non lo sarebbe nemmeno in italiano. Pynchon usa la lingua in un modo tutto suo, sarebbe impossibile tradurre i suoi (molti) giochi di parole senza perdere qualcosa nel processo. Buon divertimento! Sarà estenuante e ti odierai, ma quando guarderai indietro ne sarà valsa la pena!

[@prognition970]

I do not want this to come off as pretentious, mainly because I want more people to read Pynchon, but if you have some grounded experience with literature and a solid noggin, start anywhere! Even with Gravity’s Rainbow! With someone as nebulous in form as he is from book to book, you really can’t go wrong. Wonderful video as always!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Yes yes! Thanks Pro

[@hherroyal05]

I think the better introduction is with "V" - OMG, the best, saddest, weirdest and most daring novel in history. I did read all of Gravity's Rainbow, but didn't like the thread about the pediophila "love story" with a 12-year-old girl. That was disgusting, especially the scene on the yacht. Love Benny Profane 🙂

[@hherroyal05]

Sorry about my misspelling of pedophilia - a word that is cringe above all

[@matthewjonassaint440]

@@hherroyal05 Different strokes for different folks! for me "V." is absolutely the very last one I'd ever recommend as someone's first. I love a lot about it, but for me it's maybe his weakest! It was harder for me to finish than "Gravity's Rainbow." Re: the pedophilia in "Gravity's Rainbow." For me personally, that's WAY less cringy than in "V." when Tina gets gangraped by the Playboys. I nearly threw the book across the room & stopped reading it then and there. But to explain what I mean. Thematizing the mess of Freudian sexual dynamics, to the point that Slothrop (sexually abused himself as a child, mind you) gets with a 16-year-old for a few pages...really, for me the novel's much wider satire & harsh critique is of a society that tolerates the consistent sexualization of children. To take an example & cinematic reference from the novel's setting, Shirley Temple. And even in 2023, with “Stranger Things” actor Millie Bobby Brown (16) undergoing harassment, Natalie Portman recalling her own experiences, & so many more....we are not so far from Shirley Temple. It's repulsive: but the novel knows it. It sure knew back in '73, and unfortunately the novel will still know it another generation from now.

[@joaoguilhermegurgel5719]

Incredible video!! Fast and informative! Hugs from Brazil (don’t have a bunch of media about Pynhcon’s works in Portuguese, unfortunately…).

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

I am so happy! Thank youuuu

[@synthzz9178]

I've started with The Crying of Lot 49 in italian ( my first language ) then the short stories, V, Vineland , Inherent Vice and then I read again Lot 49 in english. I still have to read Gravity's Rainbow and the others, im not in a hurry i will be obsessed with this author for many years... i just needed to take a break because i was reading only him for 2 years straight. The same happened with Borges and Burroughs a few years ago. Great video, subscribed

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Thanks SynthZZ! Truly no wrong way to experience one of the most brilliant writers EVER. Glad you liked my take and enjoy the content 🙏🙏

[@myhouseisalibrary]

Yeah. So I started with Gravity’s Rainbow. No surprises there. It didn’t immediately inspire me to read everything else Pynchon wrote; but it obsessed me; I went back to it a number of times, re-reading sections (“seriously?!? did the dude just SAY that in print??!?). Yeah. So now I am a more mature person, and I have read more of his novels. With much enjoyment. Against the Day was a delight. As expected, and serendipitously tied in with my other ridiculous readings. Nice video, excellent review!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Omg Felicity... I'm gonna need a bookshelf tour from ya asap 😝😝

[@JimReadsTooSlow]

I started with V, then read The Crying of Lot 49 and finished Gravity’s Rainbow on my third or fourth try. I love the story about Pynchon sending Prof. Irwin Corey to accept his National Book Award for V.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

So damn good! Sounds like you started at the beginning with Pynchon, just like me 😝 what an amazing author

[@iuseitToo]

Yeah, I read in that order too! And the prof. Irwin Corey stunt was done for GR, not V. : )

[@hherroyal05]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse Yes, start with V if you want to give Pynchon the mythic recognition he deserves in the pantheon of the greatest writers. Weird, psychedelic, scattered, and most of all - descriptive and colorful. Mostly weird. Not everyone's taste, but you either love or hate Pynchon - and I somehow get the impression that he would get greater satisfaction if you hate him. I love how he made the analogy about V to... a certain anatomical region of women. And how women have body dysmorphia - something not recognized in those days. The body dysmorphia - and Benny Profane's narrative! a true schlemihl - is so well described, and Stencil... and of course, V... The best writing in modern history. So, gonna get a star sapphire implanted in my bellybutton and see you guys in WW2, when I will amputate my foot.

[@BookishTexan]

I always forget about _Vineland_. Like you I read _Gravity's Railroad_ first. I loved _Mason & Dixon_ but you are right about it. Pynchon throws you into that world and that vernacular and you gotta float along till you get it.

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

But is it an “obsolete” vernacular, Brian?!?

[@noshortcutsful]

Just finished Bleeding Edge. Absolutely loved it! Checking out V now.

[@aocbbl]

I started with pkd backwards, reading the exegesis with no prior knowledge; which was a mistake because he kept referencing his older works. i had to go back and read everything from before to come back to his magnum opus. Order of operations matter, folks.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Facts

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

I love PkD

[@christophermurtagh345]

I totally didn't get the crying of lot 49 and gave up trying to read Gravity's Rainbow on two attempts, so I had pretty much written him off. Perhaps though I might try Against the Day after your video.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

I highly recommend it

[@DocSportello1970]

I agree Mr. EWRIMC....Starting with GR for TRP would be like introducing yourself to Herman Hesse by reading his epic "Magister Ludi/The Glass Bead Game." Both are Very daunting indeed. Great Books mind you, but a bit Labor Intensive for beginners.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

**swoons** Thanks, Doc 😎

[@joyusachoobarb]

I hear your point but I started DFW with IJ and TP with GR and no regrets whatsoever!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Woohoo! You badass 😍

[@Kuyunu]

Fun and wryly considered video to match the subject of Pynchon

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

LOL, I feel like this video is speaking directly to me! XD My first Pynchon was The Crying of Lot 49. Rolled right into Gravity's Rainbow. Ngl, Pynchon's just not really for me, although there are certainly aspects I do admire about his work. I like the breadth of the thematic material that he tries to put into his books; I liked the mathematical elements, that was neat, but his writing style just isn't to my taste. Too vague on descriptions, and he seems more preoccupied with themes and concepts than with character, because the characters, at least in the two books that I've read, were not very relatable or well developed, I thought. But you give excellent advice; I've heard that Inherent Vice and Bleeding Edge are more "normal" books, for Pynchon at least. Anyway, great vid! :)

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

The best character work from Pynchon I have read is Against the Day. So good!

[@mindysbookjourney]

I am glad I started with Bleeding Edge. I might read The Crying of Lot 49 next.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Right on, Mindy! 😎👍

[@johnsharman7262]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse I think people should start with The Crying of Lot 49, due to its brevity: that would be like a taster before you venture into the more difficult abstruse longer books, each the length of Ulysses. Perhaps then go onto Vineland and its hippy culture.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@johnsharman7262 thanks JOHN! Love me some Vineland 😍

[@helpyourcattodrive]

Oh, this is how I found your channel … looking up Pynchon vids. David Foster Wallace is my favorite.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Pynchon is a favorite...you will find a lot of DfW content here too. Well met! 🙏

[@joeyjay4838]

My first DFW was Infinite Jest. I did read it with two other people though.

[@kevingarywilkes]

I started with GR. Good times.

[@SpringboardThought]

Interesting concept for a video. I was recommended Gravity’s Rainbow lol so I’m glad I saw this. My first DFW was Pale King, which I loved. I have been eyeing Infinite Jest. What would you go with next? I think I have most, if not all of his books.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

You cannot go wrong with DFW, especially if you have already read TPK 🤣🤣 I love the Oblivion collection. I am reading the Broom of the System at the end of this month and Infinite Jest over the holidays!

[@SpringboardThought]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse Oblivion is really interesting because I read In the Land of Men, a memoir about the first woman as Editor in chief of Esquire. More context on DFW and her working with him on Oblivion, which was going to originally be an exclusive Esquire multi-issue publication.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@SpringboardThought it is amazing. Perhaps some DFW commentary on that in the final story- The Suffering Channel 😝

[@SpringboardThought]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse maybe I’ll give that a try next then. The Pale King blew my mind a little bit. Such an interesting concept on capitalism and the general intellects’ malaise.

[@helpyourcattodrive]

Love it. Thank you.

[@bizy1226]

This whole video can be summed up by saying "do as I say, not as I do"

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

😝🤣🤣 I did, not knowing what I was doing. Thanks B

[@HonkieMcNasty]

I've never taken into consideration where or where not to start with an author. I just look for a title with positive reviews, read the negative and go from there. Gravity's Rainbow was my first, and so far only experience with Pynchon's work and I absolutely loved it... it was strange and sometimes revolting but that only made me love it more...especially the humor and seemingly endless musical portions... like the song about Slothrop's penis 🤣 An oddity I noticed in that book, and I'm not certain if he does it all or any of his other works yet, but what I noticed was he never seems to say he or she said... it's always a character's dialogue followed by an action or something else... though he does use sez sometimes, but never said...odd...

[@ManNowtPlan]

I started with Against the Day and found out Gravity's Rainbow was erotica a few pages in. Would recommend. 👍

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Against the Day part 4 hits like a back-alley gangbang

[@acherontas666]

regarding IJ I did read it without ever knowing anything abt DFW. In fact I did love it from the first instance and Actually its the only thing I like written by him ( his other stuff oscillated between the meh and and utterly shitty as far as im concerned). So theres no formula wrt reading stuff ya know

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

For sure! I am a bit over halfway through IJ now. I really like his "Oblivion" collection. You may be just the type to jump into Gravity's Rainbow first from Pynchon!

[@chris-hj2qd]

Omg, u haven't read M&D ??? Its, in my opinion, his best work.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

That's what I have heard 😍😍 2022 baybay

[@vibrolax]

Fre-ne-si, not Free-si.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

I always get it wrong 😝 I want to call her Mary a la 'Something About Mary'

[@TheRealWurzog]

I started with Gravity's Rainbow and loved it, but it was part of a 400 level undergraduate class where we spent the whole quarter looking at the book so that definitely helped with accessibility

[@bigleciezki]

Start wherever you want. I took "Don't start with Gravity's Rainbow" as a challenge, and it became my favorite book of all times. And I say that as an avid reader, in his late 40's. After that, I read everything he wrote. Is it difficult sometimes ? Yes. But I couldn't stop reading, because it's so funny and full of brilliant Ideas, that I never felt overwhelmed.

[@jays2551]

I think this is the most important thing, and many people don't realize it. they look at these 'great works' as challenges to overcome, always with the destination in mind, that being finishing the book. framed in that context, it can feel like work, and that drudgery can make something otherwise enjoyable feel miserable. lose yourself in these books! you should always, first and foremost, enjoy what you're reading and enjoy the experience of reading. when you look at it as a fun activity akin to watching a movie or playing a videogame, you find yourself breezing through these especially voluminous works and enjoying every second of it! and that's the correct frame of mind, imo, when you approach these books. it should be fun. you will get more out of it if you let yourself enjoy the entirety of the experience rather than just striving for the end of it.

[@Ryan-bm5du]

I finished Mason & Dixon this morning. It's his best work thus far (been reading mostly in order of publication) and the most fun I've had reading Pynchon. I would also definitely advise anyone wanting to read GR to read V. first. Mondaugen's Story alone was a very good barometer for what to expect in GR.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

I can't wait to experience M&D 🔥🔥 it is many Pynchon-lover's favorite

[@oolongoolong789]

I return to The Crying of Lot 49 every few years and always enjoy it. Its brevity is one of its most attractive features - how richly resonant a world he creates in so few pages.

[@Fell-Purpose]

Did my masters thesis on Pynchon. Satisfying to see someone else have to talk about him haha

[@noahfranks984]

I struggled through Gravitys Rainbow and hated it by the end. I tried Crying of Lot 49 and couldn't get into it at all. But years past and I slowly started to remember certain things from GR, certain impressions, ideas, even a couple of scenes. Now I'm finishing GR for the second time and it's one of my favorite novels. Looking at maybe doing V. or Against the Day next

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Very cool! Let me know your thoughts on AtD 😎

[@Ematched]

_Mason & Dixon_ is absolutely phenomenal. I just read it for the r/thomaspynchon group read. I'll be doing my first read of _Against the Day_ at the end of this year for the subreddit's group read. EDIT: _Vineland_ is very, very underrated. The style is so fun, like a catalogue of daytime TV and made-for-TV movie tropes.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Niiiiice, I can't wait. Also- you are going to love AtD. It is a wonderful book

[@Ematched]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse I can't wait! I'm going to do my first read of _Inherent Vice_ in the next few weeks. September is my detective/crime fiction month.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@Ematched oh hells yeah!

[@Tomapella]

I finished The Crying of Lot 49 earlier this week, which was my first Pynchon book. Absolutely loved it and picked up Vineland from the library today right before coming home and seeing this video in my feed, can't wait to dive in!

[@MoreTrenMoreMen69]

Finished CoL49 too and was starstruck by how such a hilarious, goofy, surreal book could make me feel and think so much. I just picked up Vineland and read the first chapter, already hooked. Can’t wait to read this! After Vineland, it’ll be time to start getting into the meat and potatoes. I intend to next read Against The Day, then Gravity’s Rainbow (then the rest). Pynchon is a 10/10 author to me. Really hope he cranks out one more book before he leaves this world.

[@alvisinger112]

I started with Gravity’s Rainbow, didn’t do me any harm, in fact got me hooked. Reread parts of it, want to reread whole thing some day. Reading Against The Day now, so easy in comparison, nice to have fuller characters too.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

No harm, for sure... God, I love AtD 😍😍😍

[@gilbertpillbrow6978]

Yeah me too. I read Infinite Jest first as well. I think you need to read the best book first.

[@AsIfInteractive]

@@gilbertpillbrow6978 Me too, I agree, but I think we're atypical. When it comes to Pynchon I recommend Lot49 first, and if you're intrigued by the hidden history & conspiracy stuff then V, then GR. I see them as an ascending scale of Pynchonness. :-)

[@StephanieJCohen]

The length is the reason I started with Crying of Lot 49. It might be short, but there was a lot of stuff in it! Count me in whenever you do a buddy read/read along for Mason & Dixon.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Very cool, it is on 2022 😁

[@matthewdrews]

I started with V. but wish I started with Crying of Lot 49. I would recommend everyone start with the Daily Show intro.

[@thecinemaster2.05]

Hey there!!!! Really enjoy the channel, great stuff on here man!!!! Unrelated but have you read Peter Matthiessen’s “Shadow Country”? If you haven’t, PLEASE DO!!!! That’s a Great American Novel, it’s so brilliant!!!! Trying to get some Lit-Tubers on here to read it bc this book deserves waaaaayyyyy more coverage!!!!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Ok, I need to read me some Matthiessen! 💪💪 Thanks for the suggestion Cinemaster!

[@virgilflowers9846]

I liked At Play in the Fields of the Lord even more, it’s an all time favorite book of mine. Matthiessen is a genius, I’m always trying to get people reading him too!

[@thecinemaster2.05]

@@virgilflowers9846 hell yeah! I own that novel too, look forward to reading at some point!

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

Will this video discuss the deep cut of Reading Rainbow when LeVar Burton referenced Gravity’s Rainbow? Always thought that one was truly “one for the fans”.

[@NoahC-]

Holy crap, Jack... I missed that episode. A DEEP CUT!! 🤣🤣

[@richardgonzales4815]

Noah A : I stand in awe of You! How did I miss that one!

[@malexander4094]

Since first encountering Pynchon over 10 yrs ago, it's been a great journey especially with rereads (so far, all but 2). These days, I actually sway people away from starting with Crying of Lot 49. While it's written well, I think it ultimately doesn't exhibit the best things about his writing. Yes, there's puns & wordplay, genre play, smut, history, paranoia, and so forth...but for me, it lacks some of the honest heart & soul found in Gravity's Rainbow & esp. everything following that. Pynchon can be honest & unmerciful in showing what we're capable of, both as loving creatures & as destructive ones. Lot 49 is great fun, but for me it also lacks a bit in that heart & soul. I think the best starting place is Inherent Vice. But my favorite, hands down, is Against the Day. :) Vineland comes closely second (and certain characters are "in sequel" from Against the Day!) & Gravity's Rainbow is simply a masterstroke of writing.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

You and I are on the same page for sure M 😎😍

[@malexander4094]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse (By the way...kudos on the correct pronunciation of "Pynchon." ;) )

[@JD-ve6kn]

coming here after failing to get through Gravity's Rainbow but just finishing Vineland as my first Pynchon novel haha

[@JD-ve6kn]

i did really enjoy Vineland. i found it bitter and a bit depressing. i feel like it will benefit from re-reads

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Maybe the best anti-climax, Vineland. All of Pynchon's books are so different, it's why has THE best 😎 Against the Day is very readable and one of his best

[@stokesrealestate]

Never heard of Pynchon… surfing around the internet and I found you. I found your video convincing and I am going to start the adventure, excited about what is to come, thanks!

[@barrybrennan1045]

Go for “Vineland”. You’ll catch his drift.

[@barrybrennan1045]

Just checked the date. I wish I wasn’t too late.

[@MsReadsAlot]

This video is so incredibly timely for me!! I have gravity’s rainbow on my 2021 list and I think I am going to switch it out for a different Pynchon. (And one that is shorter). I think I am going to go with the crying of lot 49! Awesome Noah! Appreciate it!!!!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Woohoo Sandy!! Inspired!! 😎👍

[@ratherrapid]

Is there anyone writing today other than Pynchon close to P in terms of quality of the work?

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

He just died, but I would recommend the work of John Barth, particularly "Giles Goat-Boy" and "The Sod-Weed Factor." Roberto Bolano is the only other (relatively recent) author who gave me Pynchon vibes. Check out his works "The Savage Detectives" and "2666."

[@allsunday1485]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Gravity's Rainbow as your first Pynchon. For many it would be pretty damn hard to get through, but maybe you already read some Joyce, Woolf or Faulkner and would have absolutely no problem reading GR. Let's not pretend like we can ignore what the reader has read.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Yeah, let's not pretend here 😝

[@superokapi5950]

Thanks for running us through all Pynchon novels! My own take it to always, always, always start with Lot 49. And I f you don’t hate it, I recommend continuing with Bleeding Edge. It’s just a lot more contemporary and most people can relate to at least some parts of it. Many people seem to not like it, but I think it’s Lot 49 done right. I would also think that Pynchon is much more satisfied with BE as a complete work of fiction. V. is an impressive debut. But I recently re-read it and I ended up being extremely annoyed by how fragmented and droningly dull it was. I’ve read Gravity’s a Rainbow twice and that was a lot less challenging than getting through V. a second time. Inherent Vice, Vineland and Against the Day didn’t resonate too much with me, but they are of typical Pynchon quality. One shouldn’t start reading Pynchon with AtD, obviously. And finally Mason & Dixon. Everybody should read Mason & Dixon.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Hells yeah, great list here! I doubt 8 will read V. again but, never say never ❤️😝 GR for sure....

[@JonUbick]

I fell in love with Mason & Dickson, my first book of his. I was able to adjust to the olde english in the work by page 30. I loved Lot 49 and felt so surprised at the end

[@billlalonde4158]

I like how this pops up in my feed as I’m 200 pages into Gravity’s Rainbow (my first Pynchon novel) 😂 I agree though. I shouldn’t have started here!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Haha! Good luck with it! 😝

[@owenstephen8317]

Liked this video, man. I read inherent vice first because I’m a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson and wanted to read it after seeing the movie. I’ve ordered gravity’s rainbow and might wait a while before starting it haha. I think reading some more of his work first could be pretty beneficial to understanding gravity’s rainbow a fair bit better.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Thank youuuu!

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

There were some hot rumors a few months back that PTA's next movie (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) might be an adaption of Pynchon's "Vineland." It's currently filming. Scheduled for release: August 2025.

[@owenstephen8317]

@@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044 I would love to see him do another Pynchon adaptation. Inherent vice is extremely underrated in his filmography in my opinion.

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

@@owenstephen8317 I agree. I think "Inherent Vice" is hilarious. Apparently PTA is quite the Pynchon fan, and "Vineland" is his favorite Pynchon book. (There's also an interesting video on YT about the influence of "V." on "The Master.")

[@owenstephen8317]

@@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044 man, I’ll have to check that out. The master is probably my favorite PTA film.

[@shiven513]

I started with Gravity’s Rainbow and binged it. I believe it to be the greatest work of art ever created. But the rest of his novels feel like they were trying to just barely match the coke-fueled whistblowing satire GR gave us. They’re still damn good novels though.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Each of Pynchon's works feel like a wholly different experience to me 😝 he exemplifies a type of story (or storytelling itself), does it the best ever, and on to the next!

[@ledeyabaklykova]

Perhaps the strongest take i can make about this novelist is that of all the things he teaches in his works the most fundamental one is that each novel of Pynchon teaches one how to read Pynchon. Having said this, i urge readers to seek refuge in MASON & DIXON, but not before reading Shakespeare’s Henry IV 1 & 2 diligently, Cervantes’ Don Quixote deeply, and 18th Cent English picaresque novels absorbingly. Having read TP’s novels chronologically from V to Vineland was also my strategy in approaching this magnificent creature of a book that is both daunting to meet and a breeze to befriend.

[@annewoodborne1254]

Too late. I started with Gravity's Rainbow. Made two false starts.

[@naisammon4986]

Thanks. I have tried Gravities Rainbow thrice…have never made it past page 80 on any try. After try one I jumped over to The Crying of Lot 49-I had a false start-meaning about 90 pages deep I realized I had started out on the wrong foot(this is more than two decades ago, is there not a character or characters who are actively tripping on acid throughout the entire course of the book?? I remember that realization being a revelation and starting over haha!) went back, the book contained enough stunning passages to make the prospects of a do over pleasurable, nobody composes a stand alone paragraph with as much shimmering beauty and in this case menace as Pynchon. Still have to bang out GR, until that stops feeling like a fucking death March you’ve given me a few options for book two, thank you so much! Oh…btw it’s pronounced “Oov-rah”.

[@rishabhaniket1952]

Vineland is a truly underrated masterpiece……Idk why people hate it. His funniest alongside Against the Day. And I found COL 49 a very dense book, I think it’s a cruel joke by Pynchon that even in a lightest book he fit all these complex intricate plot lines.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

CoL49 is a dense little book. Very cool 😎

[@starkreality4574]

That ending is still one of the most frustratingly hilarious book endings of all time.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@starkreality4574 the ending that says "welp!" 😝

[@starkreality4574]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse it definitely got me wanting to read more (whereas Slow Learner did not) but I got distracted with other stuff and will come back to Pynchon again eventually. So far I’ve read Slow Learner, The Crying of Lot 49 and Vineland. I couldn’t have got through a lot of Vineland without help from online guides and that’s one thing that keeps me away from Pynchon: I don’t just read his books, they’re so dense that I have to research as I’m reading and just don’t have the time for that at this point in my life. Like with Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, add the works of Pynchon to the books I must read before I die.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@starkreality4574 Against the Day, baby... Against the Day 😍😍

[@brianetchieson5958]

Mason & Dixon has a permanent place on my nightstand. I can flick to any spot in the plot and read myself off to sleep. That damb duck!

[@richardgonzales4815]

GRAVITYS’ RAINBOW is where it all began for Me! ROGER MEXICO LIVES!!!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Haha! You are a badass, Richard 💪😎

[@peeringthrough]

I started with Mason & Dixon and absolutely loved it. 10/10. I don't think I have ever laughed that much reading a book. I'm going to try and tackle Gravity's Rainbow next.

[@helpyourcattodrive]

There is a lecture on the crying of lot 49 on the Yale channel … Yale prof class presentation. Interesting.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Nice! I will for sure check that out!

[@andrewglasson592]

I started with Gravity's Rainbow, then Inherent Vice, then Against The Day and then the Crying of Lot 49. Re-reading Gravity's Rainbow at the moment. Hope to read Mason and Dixon, V and Vineland this year.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Very nice! 😎👍

[@JonUbick]

thank god he’s more relatable than James Joyce

[@hrosemd]

W. A. S. T. E.

[@Draxtor]

i went for INfinite Jest and I AM OBSESSED i read it in VR with my avatar ....

[@jeanlobrot]

I’ve never understood why Pynchon isn’t anything but proud of lot 49. To me it’s easily in his top half of novels (although I’m not sure it quite cracks the top 3)

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

It is very good 🤯

[@kid5Media]

M&D is one of the very few books that have moved me to tears by the end.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Omggg I am holding off all I can

[@sammysliver]

"Infinite Jest" was the first book by Wallace that I read. I thought it was awesome !!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Wallace is awesome, for sure 😊👍

[@GreyEyedAthena]

I’m starting with gravity’s rainbow , life’s too short

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Good luck 😝

[@Theomite]

I have all of his novels but haven't read any of them yet (I would've done this anyway as a collector in general), but my goal is to go in order of publication date ( _V._ is the first, _Bleeding Edge_ last) so I can experience him the way the readers did. I recommend this for STAR WARS moves too. Oh, and I just found out that Harper is reissuing hardcover editions of his first 3 books in April of 2023, so if you're looking for hardcovers without breaking the bank, you have a date to work with.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Very nice, Thromite! I went publication date until GR 😝 thanks for the tip, can't wait to see the covers!

[@mercster]

I'm fairly well read. I can't get into Gravity's Rainbow. I haven't given up... I'm just not a fast reader, and it's hard for me to get through it when I want to understand every sentence/scene. I think this is more a comment on the author than the reader, but there you go. For comparison, I can get through Eco's Foucault's Pendulum much easier. It's a difference of diction, not complexity. I'm kinda over the whole idea of post-modernist encyclopedic fiction. It's complex for complexity's sake. Yeah, we get it, you have layers upon layers of exposition. Is this helping anyone, besides book nerds?

[@mercster]

I get that a book has more to offer than what is on the surface. Something subliminal beneath the superficial. But these books? Yeah, I think they're mainly meant as by nerds, for nerds, which... is that what we're trying to accomplish? I dunno. Thanks for the video though.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@mercster thanks buddy! Pynchon is one of my favorite authors and I would say GR can be set aside to enjoy more cohesive narratives. Nothing wrong with enjoying and feeding creative expressions in all forms. Enjoyment for enjoyment's sake, perhaps.

[@BookishTexan]

Hoping I'm home to watch this one.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

It will be ready when you are, brother

[@vibrolax]

I've read everything but "Bleeding Edge". I think "Crying..." Is the first Pynchon novel I finished,. It took me 4 or 5 tries to get hooked on "GR". I succeeded by flipping ahead a few pages at a time until I found a vignette I liked. Then I went back to the start to slog my way through.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Very cool and you have an awesome trip ahead of you with Bleeding Edge

[@vibrolax]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse I bought "Bleeding Edge" at least 4 years ago. I developed Pynchon fatigue in the same way I did with late stage Vonnegut, Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson, etc. Despite the fatigue, my worldview has been essentially Pynchonian since 1980 or so.

[@jordil6152]

I began with Against the Day, I found it dazzling and delightful, a real page turner. I have read all his novels, but most people who try one of his light books gets turned off pretty quick. It's his style, take it or leave it.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Starting with AtD is badass

[@KeeganRobbins]

Agree that Vineland is underappreciated and a great place to start. But I started with Gravity's Rainbow, loved it, and now I've read all of his works at least once. If you're ready for it, no reason not to start with GR. But for those just dipping their toes in the deep end, I'd say Vineland or Inherent Vice. Great video - glad to find another fan of the Chums of Chance. Also, I think we have all the same editions. That's definitely my favorite cover of GR. :)

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Very cool, Keegan! Thank you so much 🙏

[@stolenflowers4775]

I started with Crying of Lot 49 and went to Inherent Vice and honestly it was not a great intro for me... I enjoyed CoL49 but it didn't grab me enough to be super hyped to try getting into Gravity's Rainbow or any of the longer Pynchon... Then, I read Inherent Vice and felt like all the weird, unclear stuff from CoL49 was just expanded on but with a "Big Lebowski" type main character... Thats not to say I didn't enjoy the books but it hasn't been a great intro to Pynchon... After I finished Inherent Vice, I said "Thank god thats over," and I usually LOVE these crazy, encyclopedic, drug-fueled novels, but Inherent Vice was just like re-reading CoL49 but with a male protagonist (I did read them back to back) I think if I read Inherent Vice first, I would have thought CoL49 the two were a bit too related. I think your description of Inherent Vice as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas mixed with detective noir" was super accurate though

[@theosprey7111]

Well 40 years ago back in the early ‘80’s I did exactly the wrong thing. I started with Gravity’s Rainbow. I loved it but it was emotionally and mentally exhausting. At the time it was the height of the Cold War and I was experiencing what Pirate Prentice fears…thinking the missile is going to drop right on his head…

[@robertnicolay8327]

Go chronological including early stories with Pyncon's critique. Ideas explored in Bleeding Edge are right there in V. Gravitys Rainbow might be a bit rough but Vineland will be a piece of cake.

[@PentoPaper]

I’ve never read Pynchon. Whenever I pick him up, I’ll go with you rec 🙂

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Woohoo! Enjoy Leah 😎

[@geg6315]

I started with Inherent Vice and now I’m 400 pages into Gravity’s rainbow. Very interesting book

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Yeah it is! After you finish those, the rest is smooth-sailing and, dare I say, better! AtD and Vineland are faves

[@geg6315]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse I really do like Gravity’s rainbow I just wish Pirate and Pointsman weren’t dropped out of the story so soon

[@TheCodeXCantina]

If Brian isn’t on this video we’re rioting…

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Get the pitchforks sharp and ready 😝

[@attention5638]

Hahaha, I thought the same 😂

[@TheCodeXCantina]

@@attention5638 pae, check your voxer🤪

[@forenzictoolzpoozle1599]

as a callow 16 yrld who was ok with eng lit in high school and science /maths , I came across a copy of "Gravity's Rainbow" in a bookstore, I liked the cover art so I bought the book. After about half a dozen attempts , I finally read the book when I was about 18. I then devoured the earlier works and over the years returned to Gravity's Rainbow. I remember listening to early works by Terry Riley , Steve Reich and Philip Glass ... you just keep listening and at some point something clicks and you have an "AHA!!!" moment. GR , for me is like a sprawling musical work utilizing words instead of musical notes and intervals. It remains for me sui generis in general literature. btw Laurie Andersons Mr Heartbreak lp has a song titled Gravity's Rainbow , about T Pynchon. Also, the audiobook of Bleeding Edge is superb . The reader is a glorious yenta who you can believe is the protagonist of that novel.

[@harrycollier9886]

This is insanity. You begin with a lot of filler and then admit that despite telling us what are the best and worst places to begin with Pynchon you haven't read all of his works. You then tell us not to begin with V. but don't actually tell us why we shouldn't begin there. (By the way, V. is easily Pynchon's most accesible novel to a newcomer). Then you tell us to start with The Crying of Lot 49 because it is short. No other reason than that. Hey guys, who cares about story or the mesage of the book, begin with the short one. And yes, I know that every so-called Pynchon expert says start there for the exact same reason but this is idiocy! Start with V. The progress through in order as Pynchon builds on previous works.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Over 10k views and finally someone set me straight! 🤣🤣

[@camillodimaria3288]

I enjoyed V. & Bleeding Edge. I loved the propulsive hyper ness of the tone in Bleeding Edge. I had difficulty with Inherent Vice so I put it aside. I couldn’t make heads or tails of The Crying…I think cuz I was too young. I’m trepidatiously stalling tackling Gravity’s Rainbow, it will be a tough slog at first, but I know that later it’ll be rewarding.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Pynchon is the GOAT

[@NousSpeak]

GR was my first real dig into Pynchon and tbh I love it.

[@readreadofficial]

Great video! I've been wondering where to go next with Pynchon (after GR, CoL-49, and Inherent Vice), and you've convinced me to give Vineland a go.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

You are on the right track there 👍

[@GreyEyedAthena]

Love this dudes accent

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Thank youuuu

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

Over many years, I’ve read all Pynchon except Mason & Dixon, Bleeding Edge, and Slow Leaner. Some of them were audio books. I would like to reread a few, especially V., Gravity’s Rainbow, Vineland, and Against the Day. If someone had asked me recommended a starting place, I probably would have picked Crying of Lot 49 or V., but you make a good case for his later novels. I agree Gravity’s Rainbow is not the place to start, that would be like running a marathon before a 5k or 10k.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Haha! For sure, Greg! Pynchon is so awesome and his books all unique offerings that there may be no wrong place to start 😝

[@bobbyworrell2549]

bleeding edge outstrips everything, never thought I would relegate GR to second favorite

[@andrewmsmith1969]

Great video, thanks for the discussion. I started with GR because I discovered Pynchon in the late 80s before Vineland. Loved it, but very heavy going at times. But now I’d agree that Vineland and Inherent Vice are probably the best way in. I don’t think I’ve finished Mason&Dixon because of that stylised vernacular.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Thanks Andrew! There is always interest in this great, still most start with GR and don't continue 🫤

[@liberalhyena9760]

I haven’t read a lot of Pynchon and the one I read most recently was Inherent Vice. I recall a fairly unkind review of Against the Day that claimed that its page count was due to the limitations of book binding technology rather than the requirements of the story but I am yet to test this theory. (Slightly worryingly, I can’t remember whether I bought it). Gravity’s Rainbow is, for me, totally inaccessible and likely to remain so. It’s on one of the lowest shelves of my book case for fiction, and obscured by piles of other books and paraphernalia I can barely reach.

[@Harjawaldar]

it's literally inaccessible

[@liberalhyena9760]

@@Harjawaldar Quite so. I can’t remember when I last saw it - probably when I moved into my present address and filled the bookcase.

[@gilbertpillbrow6978]

You should definitely read Gravity's Rainbow first. It would be a huge mistake to read V or The Crying of Lot 49 first

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Yeah...

[@voz805]

Thank you for the very good overview, I'm now definitely taking a crack at Pynchon. And I'm very grateful to you for including the several BookTube links in your description box, I never saw these before and have a lot to look forward to!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

A pleasure to share 😎

[@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace]

Such a great idea for a video!! Mason and Dixon really calls my name, but I do have a feeling I would drown in it before finishing 🤣

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

It sounds beautiful and amazing, I can't wait! Jack and I are reading it together next year. So, if you want in, you have some time to mentally prepare (maybe read "The Crying of Lot 49"?) 😎

[@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace]

@@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse oooh maybe so!! Let me know what month ya'll decide on and maybe I can try The Crying of Lot 49

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace you read the Crying of Lot 49 whenever and let me know if you want more Pynchon 😝

[@dantecadiz5353]

I started with COL49 and followed it up with Gravity's Rainbow. As you mentioned, I think COL49 is a good entry point as it's light and actually relatively narrative driven compared to some of his other novels.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Right on, Dante! 😎

[@yakirarbib1670]

Thank you. This was informative, fun, funny and interesting!

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

I appreciate that ❤️

[@alexgdsu7785]

started mason and dixon last week. i’m loving it so far but i’m reading it slowly. honestly thinking that i should start somewhere else though, as M&D is my first

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Woah! Your first will be my last of his currently published works 😍 you honestly cannot go wrong with Pynchon

[@gilbertpillbrow6978]

You should definitely read Infinite Jest first, before you read anything else by DFW

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

Hmm 😝

[@stargater2892]

Good Afternoon ... Will this explain Encyclopedic novel and/or paranoid fiction?

[@NoahC-]

Probably not 🤣🤣🤣

[@stargater2892]

Hi Noah. Based on reading the synopses and your recs, I'm going to try Against the Day. Inherent Vice and Vineland didn't appeal to me. I think it's the time periods. Right away I was in on Against the day. Now I'm off to find the book. Thanks for the vid and jump starting my 2022 resolution to branch out. ATD will be my Jan 2022 big book read.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

@@stargater2892 you will love it. It is unbelievably vast. Please let me know your thoughts when you get to it!

[@nasibars4575]

but what would Takeshi san say?

[@SwampyWilkinson]

WHO. IS. MR. THOMAS. PYNCHON?

[@samrainnie2104]

Started with Gravity’s Rainbow and was hooked by the first sentence

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

It is one of the best opening lines ever 😎

[@garyshepherd9226]

Bleeding Edge probably his most straightforward.

[@EveryoneWhoReadsitMustConverse]

💪😎