Top 5 Thomas Pynchon Books

Each to his own, right?
All Thomas Pynchon's books, listed here in order of publication, with links to buy them on Amazon (yep I'm an affiliate) and to my review/reader's guide/impressions:
V.
Am: amzn.to/2jnzBhi
Review/Impressions: • V. by Thomas Pynchon R...
The Crying of Lot 49
Am: amzn.to/2iCIORz
Gravity's Rainbow
Am: amzn.to/2jquNHL
Review: • Gravity's Rainbow by T...
Slow Learner
Am: amzn.to/2itdINV
Review: • Slow Learner by Thomas...
Vineland
Am: amzn.to/2jPFG2E
Review: • Vineland by Thomas Pyn...
Mason & Dixon
Am: amzn.to/2jPsFGj
Review: • Mason & Dixon by Thoma...
Against the Day
Am: amzn.to/2jnJ8ox
Review: • Against the Day by Tho...
Inherent Vice
Am: amzn.to/2it1mW9
Bleeding Edge
Am: amzn.to/2jnGOOw
My 5 Tips on How to Read Pynchon: • 5 Tips on How to Read ...
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[@VagabondBohemia]

20 minutes of Pynchon? This made my week. Thanks. Wonderful analysis and video as always, Mattia.

[@TheBookchemist]

Thanks man :D

[@JohnnyCashavetes]

Bleeding Edge perception as Pynchon Lite says more to me about the critics than than Pynchon himself. Pynchon evolved. They didn't. In doing so, Pynchon inexplicably wrote the first great Millennial Novel, forgetting the fact that he was 75 fucking years old. I'm bad at ranking things. I just want to back you up repping Bleeding Edge so hard. I love it the same.

[@TheBookchemist]

I couldn't agree more!

[@NKRevolution]

Dude. 2666? Seiobo, there below?

[@grantandrews4826]

I gotta be honest - I really like Inherent Vice.

[@jamesredman4645]

I love Pynchon and have read all of his books. I’m rereading Gravity’s Rainbow and that to me is very clearly his absolute masterwork. His stream of consciousness writing is so overwhelmingly beautiful that I can’t even handle it sometimes. It’s grotesque but also incredibly tender and heartfelt. And the imagery and prose is beyond anything I’ve ever read, Joyce and Faulkner included. This is my list: Gravity’s rainbow The crying of lot 49 V Vineland Mason and Dixon Slow learner Against the Day Bleeding Edge Inherent Vice. Keep in mind that these are all some of my favourite books in the world. Love your videos. It’s so great knowing someone understands and appreciates Pynchon as much as I do.

[@tannerharlow5019]

Really enjoyable video. I just finished Bleeding Edge a couple days ago, my third Pynchon after V. and Lot 49. I definitely see what you mean with it being more relatable as a younger person; hearing him write about the internet and tech culture in general is super amazing, especially some of the observations he makes. It's pretty amazing that Pynchon has been able to internalize how people view their world for so long.

[@ItsVyy]

Gravity's Rainbow is still my favorite just because of its scale and construction, I'm still shocked it was created, truly the masterwork of Postmodernism.

[@Earbly]

Yeah reading it is one thing. But every once in a while reading it (I'm on my second read) you think to yourself, how in the hell could someone write this? It's so gigantic in it's scale, how could you jump around between so many characters, envronments, events, abstract digressions... It's just insane.

[@ItsVyy]

I'm rereading it trying to make some sense of it and I just don't understand how one person, alone, could write something like this. There are just endless levels of detail in every word, I don't think you could drop a single passage and not lose something from the overall work.

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

1) Gravity's Rainbow 2) Mason & Dixon 3) The Crying of Lot 49 4) V. 5) Inherent Vice 6) Against the Day 7) Bleeding Edge ...still need to read Vineland.

[@originoflogos]

Mason & Dixon and Against the Day and Gravity's Rainbow and The Crying of Lot 49 are masterpieces in every sense of the word.

[@alphonseelric5722]

V.

[@boltzmannbrain8698]

I’m a person of average intelligence who enjoys reading. I’m not nearly as smart and intellectual as most Pynchon admirers. I read Gravity’s Rainbow just for the challenge and while there were parts I liked, I didn’t enjoy the experience. However I then read Mason&Dixon and it ended up in my top favorite books I’ve ever read.

[@tadhgcronin175]

I struggle with Pynchon and I was thinking that the historical aspect of this might help me.

[@MilesWilliams88]

I've never read any Pynchon, but your description of Against The Day makes me want to read it. I loved the Final Fantasy games growing up, and I love long books. It seems right up my alley.

[@codex-sinaiticus]

i’ve been a subscriber for 3+ yrs (albeit without notifications on), and just recently, your vids are starting to appear again on my feed. hope all is well!

[@emilioocchialini6094]

Last summer i seggested my mother to read 'crying of lot 49' but she stopped at pag 30 and tried to reread it two or three times and then she gave up haha however this is a real good video, i think i'm gonna suggest this to a friend who wants to get into Pynchon for the first time. You made an passionate and clear panoramic of what this author meant to you... and you also tempted me to give up with the exams of this session and reclude myself on my missing pynchons... haha

[@thereadingfabricator]

Inherent Vice was my introduction. And then it spiralled into an obsession with this geniuses work. Am about to start Mason and Dixon and am hoping for a fantastic reading experience

[@ameygharse1374]

I was inspired to pick Pynchon through your reviews, so thank you! my reads inspired by your reviews - Bleeding edge, Gravity's rainbow, Crying of Lot 49, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Slaughter house five, white noise, Point Omega. You doing great! Keep going and I hope to see you review books by authors beyond North America :)

[@ameygharse1374]

I have Against the Day and Mason & Dixon - my reads for coming year :)

[@TheBookchemist]

I'm happy I did that :D thanks man!

[@S1m0nSaysP7ay]

Awesome timing. I'm just now reading my first Pynchon novel, Gravity's Rainbow. Started a week ago and I am missing about 250 pages. Love everything about his style and writing. Can't wait to read more of him, maybe AtD or M&D next.

[@rottenrafflesia]

I just bought it. I need to finish Infinite Jest first though.

[@S1m0nSaysP7ay]

That's funny. I just bought Infinite Jest, and will probably read it after or soon-ish-after. Quite a coincidence. How are you liking IJ so far though?

[@rottenrafflesia]

I'm at page 210! it's really a different reading experience. love the footnotes, love the incredibly detailed description of everything. I love the way how POV shifts between characters through an object both people are thinking about. so many interesting narrative techniques. love the meditation on some subjects like tattoos and tennis (some qualities of them. being vague so as to not spoil it for you). I'm going through it at a more gradual pace than I usually do (but then i used to just stick with fantasy which is usually heavily plot-driven). I can't wait to read more postmodernism. I decide to try one book each from the major authors because going through all the works of each.

[@pervis3537]

Simon mumu I just bought Infinite Jest too. I'm only on page 30 (I've been lazy with my reading) but I'm really enjoying it! After every 'chapter' I can't help but to re-read it and look at every detail that I've missed; it really is infinite!

[@S1m0nSaysP7ay]

Yeah I guess I will have to read Infinite Jest asap. You guys should give Gravity's Rainbow a try as well. It is really disturbing but hilariously funny at the same time, while having this really complicated and intriguing "story". And from what I've heard, the same can be said about Infinite Jest.

[@lwilson9383]

Thankyou. I am mid way through Against The Day and loving it! Really enjoyed your commentary, makes me want to go back and re-read the earlier works

[@Draxtor]

THANK YOU! I am 51 and just starting to get COMPLETELY OBSESSED! You are now my community :)

[@h6tuoycinos]

i enjoy your channel, really do. mason and dixon is the my favorite pynchon work, and there's a remainder i haven't read, which is gravity's rainbow. a little recommendation. there's a novel in the same pynchonian vein, Stone Junction, by Jim Dodge. pynchon even wrote an intro for it.

[@b.c.7741]

I'm halfway through Mason & Dixon and I'm enjoying it immensely! Seriously it is amazing. It is my introduction to Pynchon ( read a few first ch. Of V, and some of his articles and also enjoyed them very much) and I am so glad I started it with it! I'm addicted. I might read all his books back to back which I have yet to do with an author . We'll see. Thanks Again My friend, you are a great wealth of knowledge and humour, cheers!

[@Earbly]

I've been reading Bleeding Edge and it has taken me some time to get into it, but now around page 120, I have become really hooked and the web of paranoia and investigating the criminal activities that you get glimpses into are so expansive. Loving it. I seem to find it easier generally to get into his crazier works like Gravity's Rainbow because I can kind of ride the chaos enjoyably. His newer works take me longer to get into but they are awesome and high quality works.

[@vins1979]

I have actually read Gravity's Rainbow twice and it's my favourite book. And you know why? Because even in the darkest labyrinth, you will always come across a travelling light bulb! (winkie winkie) :-D

[@TheBookchemist]

I see what you did there!

[@vins1979]

The_Bookchemist :-D

[@Earbly]

I just finished my second read of it. I wouldn't say it's my favourite but it'll always stay high up there I think. Certainly there's no other book quite like it, as far as I know. Some very funny stuff in that book, like the ventriloquist situation when Tchitcherine is tied and Slothrop speaking to the Russian (I think) soldiers.

[@CynicalBastard]

Life inside a CERN generator.

[@mantisamygdala]

Is there anything in common between Kenosha Kid and "Trainspotting"? :)

[@dazeofheaven]

Of his novels I've finished: 1) Inherent Vice 2) Mason & Dixon 3) Against the Day 4) Bleeding Edge 5) The Crying of Lot 49

[@xxxxxx-pv6fs]

How do I run into you on every comments section?

[@piratesfan1995able]

Am I the only one who thinks pynchon books are very memorable. Not the entire book, but certain subplots like the alligator hunting part and nose job part in V. The last few pages of inherent vice to me are absolutely beautiful. Slothrop toilet part in GR. These passages are stuck in my head

[@tadhgcronin175]

Lots of people like it but the goofyness of Pynchon I don't relate to. The names are kind of cool though.

[@user-mf1rz9mn3l]

thank you so much for making these videos, i really like them, i've learned so much about books, and I recently got my first Thomas Pynchon novel (the crying of lot 49) all thanks to you and i'm very excited about it!! keep up the good work!!

[@80085word69]

Extremely difficult ranking these. Like picking your favorite child. Number one for me would be tied between V. and GR.

[@bighardbooks770]

Why is your review of _Bleeding Edge_ private? I'm reading _Mason & Dixon_ currently and want to read _Bleeding Edge_ next.

[@keithwittymusic]

7. V 6. Inherent Vice 5. Gravity's Rainbow 4. Against the Day 3. The Crying of Lot 49 1a. Mason & Dixon 1b. Bleeding Edge :)

[@TheBookchemist]

Which one is closer to the top between 1a and 1b? If it's 1b you're the man :D

[@keithwittymusic]

Hmm. Depends on the day of the week honestly. The scene between the main character and her father in Bleeding Edge is the best moment in all of Pynchon's fiction for me, so if I consider that at all I give the nod to Bleeding Edge. But Mason & Dixon is just fucking unreal. I don't understand how anyone could have written it.

[@jakeport5381]

Keith Witty what about vineland and slow learner?

[@conorcify]

V kicks ass!!! V > TCOL49!

[@GeorgeMillerUSA]

Keith Witty While I do respect your opinions, but why is _V._ the last? Not only it's startling and original, but it's also beautifully written for a twenty six year old.

[@GeorgeMillerUSA]

1. _Against the Day_ 2. _Mason & Dixon_ 3. _Gravity’s Rainbow_ 4. _Inherent Vice_ 5. _Vineland_ 6. _V._ 7. _Slow Learner: Early Stories_ 8. _The Crying of Lot 49_ 9. _Bleeding Edge_

[@mantisamygdala]

1, outstanding; 3, fun; 2, fun; 7, underrated!; 5, fun 6, so sad, 8, searching for context - have to read it again. 9. lost context*. *Context not in a historical sense, but in a "werkimmanenten" sense. I guess, Bleeding Edge gone public too early. There are some Pynchon-like lyric sentences, but most of it is just "crime-literature", unfortunately without plot. I've read it OV and a second time in German (I'm german), but still don't "understand" that book.

[@ryanthomas7119]

@@mantisamygdala 9. Underrated

[@alexhirka]

I would only switch the positions of 4 and 5 - otherwise. . . yep!

[@allaboutdmagic]

I suppose my top five Pynchon goes: 1) Gravity's Rainbow 2) Against the Day 3) Mason & Dixon 4) Bleeding Edge 5)Vineland

[@johnblomquist9071]

I feel as if the reason why Pynchon writes off "The Crying of Lot 49" as a "failure" is because the pages are practically soaked in LSD and Pynchon wants to keep his enigma. There's not a doubt in my mind that Pynchon was a tripper, he just doesn't want to make it loud and clear and "Lot 49" does exactly that.

[@chillzillaful]

Your characterization of Gravity's Rainbow is spot on!

[@adrianac3258]

Superb analysis you did of his work hoy there ☺!! , I was planning to read Gravity's Rainbow soon because I found it on a thrift store , guess I better wait to get a hold of Inherent Vice or Against the Day ...

[@MarshmallowCreep]

Mason & Dixon is #1 for me. The writing style is mind-bending. All of the 18th century and early American literature I studied prepared and rewarded me for reading it. It's also the only Pynchon novel that made me cry.

[@TheBookchemist]

It's moving as fuck, I agree!

[@bedet]

If you haven't checked out the Pynchon in Public podcast yet, they just announced that the upcoming 5th season will be on Bleeding Edge.

[@TheBookchemist]

Didn't know that - thanks Daniel, I'll check it out!

[@americalost5100]

TCoL49 needs to be read multiple times - like all of Pynchon's novels imo - until the books absolute stunning beauty starts to be experienced

[@herzoghorse5825]

had a go at Against the Day but stopped 100 pages in & haven't got round to starting again it again. I think i'll take your advice and go for Inherent Vice first. Great video once again

[@minotaurmangum7911]

Is that an alligator coming out of the sewer on your shirt?

[@djpeanutbutterjelly]

I've only read V and The Crying of Lot 49, and I had to put down Gravity's Rainbow because I couldn't balance how dense and challenging it was with my schoolwork, but I'll return to it at some point, probably over the summer. I certainly did like V a lot more than The Crying of Lot 49, and I haven't had any academic discussions with anyone about either of them so perhaps that will influence my thought process in the future, but if his remaining seven books are all better than those then I can't wait to get to them (after I've finished Blood Meridian).

[@TheBookchemist]

If you liked V more than Crying then my guess is that you'll like the novels from Vineland onward a bit more than Gravity's Rainbow, but do let me know! And good luck with Blood Meridian :)

[@alexschmidt2589]

I just got into Pynchon about a year ago. I started with Bleeding Edge and loved it. Then I read V and am about done with Gravity's Rainbow. Bleeding Edge has by far been my favorite but all the criticism seems to be that Bleeding Edge is somehow "lesser" Pynchon. I was wondering if I was doing it wrong. Glad to see someone who's read him entirely agrees. Plus I'm a millennial so it's just perfect for us.

[@TheBobbybare]

oh that was a surprise! anyway ( my top 3 would be 1. Gravity's Rainbow, 2. Against the Day and3. V) but I totally share your view about your number one book!

[@guilherme_esp]

I'm curious about who are the other two authors of your holy trinity! Would they be David Foster Wallace and Michael Chabon?

[@Ideennot]

Maybe DeLillo?

[@TheBookchemist]

Michael Chabon and HP Lovecraft! I kinda moved past my DFW phase a few years ago, and even back when I loved Infinite Jest I couldn't get into the rest of his books enough to put him among my favorite writers

[@guilherme_esp]

HP Lovecraft! Damn, I should have guessed! Would you ever be interested in doing a video like "top 5 lovecraftian moments not written by Lovecraft"? I love his style, but I tend to prefer when it's used by other authors

[@yogeshtak9223]

I'v been told that Inherent Vice is the one to begin with Pynchon...is there such a specific book for the other two mentioned in this section: HP Lovecraft and Michael Chabon? @Guilherme Paes @The_Bookchmist

[@evanhannan2116]

I really enjoyed this video. I read Gravity's Rainbow and really loved it. I knew going in that I wouldn't understand much, but pushed through while following online guides. I'll read these other books of his, that you like, mostly due to that I really enjoyed his voice in his writing. Think Ill start with Mason Dixon. Thanks man! Subscribed

[@warlockofwordschannel7901]

1: Gravity's Rainbow 2: Mason & Dixon 3: Against The Day 4: Bleeding Edge 5: The Crying of Lot 49

[@marcosviniciusoitauna6071]

I'm from Brazil and I read Inherent Vice, Bleeding Edge, Mason & Dixon, Gravity's Rainbow and Agaist the day, all in portuguese. For me 1º Mason and Dixon, 2º Against the day, 3º Bleeding Edge, 4º Inherent Vice, 5º Gravity's Rainbow

[@TheBookchemist]

Fair enough :D!

[@gronskeibooks]

Great video! Awesome list, I love it's not the standard books at the top. I haven't read Bleeding Edge or Against the Day yet, and now i'm all the more excited to dive in. Thanks!

[@awizardintraining]

I kind of almost have the urge to rebuy Against the Day and Mason & Dixon to get those more compact paperbacks that you have. I have the bigger, more bulkier paperback editions

[@TheBookchemist]

I've been told they are bad editions (mine I think) and that this edition of Gravity's Rainbow occasionally has misprinted pages or such, but I did not notice any problem with either AtD or M&D! Go for it if you find them around :)

[@TheBookchemist]

*(mine I mean)

[@peaceandllov]

Marcus Steffanci Those British editions smell like vinegar, FYI.

[@briancollins1296]

I knew I wasn't the only one who thinks Vineland is melancholic, more so than most of Pynchon's novels.

[@TheBookchemist]

Isn't it? Thanks! And great pic!

[@briancollins1296]

Thanks. And the thing with Vineland is that I'm pretty sure Pynchon wrote it as a kind of interlude between Gravity's Rainbow and Mason & Dixon, but I think it holds up very well as an introduction to his work.

[@GeorgeMillerUSA]

Hey, I love Vineland, too! I place it higher above V., Lot 49 and Bleeding Edge. I think it has to do with the raw emotions that it evokes, not to mention the thrilling plot it deploys.

[@andreasmol8647]

Hey, BC! Thanks for the encouraging video. I just finished Inherent Vice and I absolutely loved it. Can’t wait to read more Pynchon, probably going to read CL49 next! Keep spreading the good P-word.

[@MrWARRIORMONKS]

Great video, thanks, was useful to me. Started with Lot 49 (loving it after 50 pages), then will move onto Inherent Vice.

[@nedmerrill5705]

Just finished M&D. I read IV in the past. I've got a lot to look forward to with his other novels (GR excepted).

[@thomaspalazzolo5902]

An odd thing I've noticed for those having trouble reading Pynchon: it flows beautifully if you imagine Irish comedian Dylan Moran is telling you the story off the top of his head.

[@old3nglish_234]

my favorite is mason and dixon - it's astonishingly beautiful and the dymanic between the two characters is wonderful. such a charming book. I have yet to read gravity's rainbow, (frankly a bit intimidated) bleeding edge, and against the day (I read 100 pages of ATD, but I had to drop it for several weeks and I just wasn't able to get back to it, but someday I will!). anyway, great list!

[@NathanielDoherty]

This old-ass video has made me want to read Vineland again. I read it very quickly and felt like I got nothing from it.

[@Pencilman246]

I started with Inherent Vice and really enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot (thematically) of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Both fun reads with an undercurrent of sadness about the failure of the 60s giving way to the horrible squareness of the 70s. Then I read TCoL49 and thought it was great but probably not as deep as people treat it. I’m on Against the Day and I’m obsessed. I’m an engineer and the retrofuturist/turn of the century science-fiction stuff is incredible. It’s not often that writers try to include real mathematical debates into the sci-fi and use it to explore themes. It also reminds me a lot of Red Dead Redemption 2, not because it’s about cowboys (there’s some western of course) but because it’s about the shift from the 19th to the 20th century and how rapidly things were changing in America and abroad. There’s cowboys and electrical experiments. I want an Against the Day video game now.

[@GaeaRage94]

I feel intimidated about starting GR, but I've read Lot49 and AtD which I think are rather simple really. I wonder if people are also blowing GR's difficulty way out of proportion. Maybe it's just becuase I get so hypnotised by his prose that I don't really mind not understanding all of it.

[@TheBookchemist]

Against the Day is, if not exactly easy, definitely not a "difficult" novel imho (it's just very very long); but if you read Lot 49 and found it easy, than you shouldn't fear GR at all. There's definitely an element of myth in the whole idea of Pynchon as difficult!

[@CyriacusSorokin]

Bleeding Edge is my favourite Pynchon novel, so far. I read The Cry of Lot 49 twice but still felt missing many things from it. I also read Inherent Vice and now I'm thinking what to read next. . Should I go with tough ones like Gravity's Rainbow or read something 'easier' like Slow Learner?

[@TheBookchemist]

If you liked Bleeding Edge and Inherent Vice but didn't care for Crying, I'd say you should go with Against the Day! It's as rewarding and crazy as BE and IV, but much more ambitious (and of course so much longer)! Gravity's Rainbow is a must read of course, but it can be even more cryptic than Crying at times! As for Slow Learner, that's kind of a 'bonus' book - you can read it at any time, it's very short and quite rewarding ;)

[@CyriacusSorokin]

Against the Day actually is under my radar. The Greek edition is 1248 pages and more than a kg in weight! It seems I'll leave GR last. I need to be ready. Thanks a lot Mr. Pynchonologist!

[@grammcourse]

You know your video is fire 🔥 when they ring the bells to herald its arrival 🔔

[@tylerhonsel8136]

Thank you! You express your opinions eloquently

[@drawntostories5940]

Great video! Awesome job summing up the books without spoiling the plots in any way. Damn Bleeding Edge sounds amazing (Pokemon stuff and escapism, just WOW), also the "Final Fantasy" novel! I've got two of his novels just waiting to be read, Inherent Vice and TCoL49, both acquired after having watched your earlier videos. I'll probably start with Inherent Vice soon (thanks for the tip), but, as always, there's so many books, so little time. Keep up the good job!

[@vicjames3256]

V. actually was the book I told peop;e to start with re Pynchon lol. But this was before Inherent Vice came out. V. is still near or at the top of my books of his. I get the reason why you put the other 3 ahead of GR, so I've got nothing to add there. Still haven't read Bleeding Edge tho. He's a writer where i understand people's takes on him that may differ than mine. Most of them I find valid. That's what makes him fun.

[@christianbarros589]

Thank you for make this video about Pynchon. Im from uruguay and nobody talks about him here 😂 so i look and read everything out there.

[@Earbly]

I was deciding which Pynchon book to read next, I had actually read I think around 70 pages of Bleeding Edge but put it aside. I just finished GR for the 2nd time so something not quite so crazy, so I'm gonna go for Bleeding Edge. You convinced me

[@crabbySm4ck3r]

I'd love to know what you'd recommend to someone who doesn't read much, tries to read but doesn't, and so only expects to read one Pynchon novel in his or her entire life.

[@clumsydad7158]

wow, I've been totally confused about what to try about Pynchon and this kind of clears things up and confuses them too … still not sure where to start, but thanks … and when I mean start, probably like really just read one most likely

[@420happyhippy]

do more top five of your favorite authors

[@Francoisss1234]

1. Gravity's Rainbow (the wildest book ever written) 2. Inherent Vice (fun, fun, fun, easy to follow) 3. Bleeding Edge (again, great humor and easy to read) 4. - 7. (Vineland, Mason & Dixon, Against the Day, Slow Learner in no particular order) 8. Crying of Lot 49 (I did not really like it all that much) I have not read V. yet.

[@TheBookchemist]

Glad I'm not the only one who's not too hot on Crying! Great list :)

[@Francoisss1234]

Thanks! Great channel by the way. I am a big fan. I have read each of the first three books on my list (GR, IV and BE) three times already and I am sure I am not finished with them. Pynchon is fantastic. The style is so rich that reading it repeatedly actually makes it even more fun (you are more and more oriented in the "plot" so you can pretty much forget about it and you just enjoy the ride). Not many books are like that. In my opinion, language beats plot every time but few writers master it well enough:).

[@trappintrev9711]

I've never read him, but will definitely begin w/ Inherent Vice based on your recommendation. Thank you!

[@monishgowda5975]

I would recommend watching the movie first.

[@malexander4094]

Hey! I'm interested to know whether these rankings are still the same for you, esp. after re-reading Gravity's Rainbow in 2018. I read Bleeding Edge a couple years ago, and loved it. I'd just finished Gravity's Rainbow (this was in 2018; I would've love to join your read-along, but I was still a bit fresh from the labyrinth). Now, I'm actually re-reading Gravity's Rainbow...and, in short, at this point, I'm in a funny place... - I've never finished Mason & Dixon. While I like the story & characters very much, its stylization didn't always come off for me (ometimes it made me think of Tristram Shandy). I felt like it got in the way sometimes. - I've never finished Vineland: it has some of my favorite passages in all the Pynchon I've read. But overall it's...definitely not a mess, yet not entirely..."focused"? I hate using this word. Especially when I love so many passages in it. But it has a lot of exposition, a lot going on, & some heady cynicism. - I've never finished V., I lost interest in the characters though I felt entertained by the book itself - I didn't finish Against The Day...I got overloaded with so many characters. This is the nut I want most to crack, though: the era is my favorite in history! I really should love it. ...My funny place is this: I am wondering whether Bleeding Edge really is my favorite. Yes, it speaks to me in the same way it speaks to you, with its popular references, I love the themes, and I remember a lot of great prose...but above all? For me, Maxine might be the best of all Pynchon's protagonists.

[@TheBookchemist]

All things considered I think that yes, the list still stands! And I totally agree on Maxine, hands down my favorite too ;)

[@malexander4094]

@@TheBookchemist By the way: it's Pynch-ON. :) Not Pynch-in. (Citations: his name as pronounced when he's appeared on The Simpsons, & also this "biography" article: www.vulture.com/2013/08/thomas-pynchon-bleeding-edge.html)

[@HarrierDubois]

I’ve read Inherent Vice two times and Crying of Lot 49 once. I Loved both, but Inherent Vice is my favorite (possibly my favorite book of all time). What should I read next of Pynchon? I have Vineland, Bleeding Edge and Gravity’s Rainbow (not sure I’m ready).

[@TheBookchemist]

(As I said in a different reply): Which one did you prefer? If it was IV, go with Bleeding Edge (or, if what you enjoyed so much was the setting, with Vineland); if you preferred 49, go with V.

[@HarrierDubois]

@@TheBookchemist I'm on Vineland, thanks for your help!

[@georgerichter9671]

Hello Mattia, I speak as someone who has not read Lot 49, but would you affirm that there are cultural fragments which defy the 1960s climate or otherwise instances of anachronism in the novel?

[@humanfirst11]

8:25 What does that mean really? What's the intention or literal meaning of this in praise of the novel?

[@libertyhopeful18]

Ever read any Paul Auster??

[@TheBookchemist]

Sure, I love several of his books (most notably the NY Trilogy, In the Country of Last Things and the Music of Chance) but it's admittedly been a few years since I last read one of his novels!

[@levitybooks3952]

I'm currently at where you were at 0:28, reading The Corrections now.

[@skygeneralmonkey1856]

How do you feel about Philip Roth? Just got into his stuff, and I can tell you already that he is a master.

[@TheBookchemist]

I've only read a handful of his books (the American Pastoral, the Human Stain and the Plot Against America) but I loved them all, especially Plot! I'd really love to dive deeper into his stuff but alas, so little time (although I already have The Great American Novel on my shelf)! Fun fact - both my Master's supervisor and my PhD supervisor are Roth scholars :D

[@sixtofive]

I had guessed you would have put against the day at the top based on previous videos. Good discussion and I'm sure it was hard to decide. Have you ever gotten into Neal Stephenson? His books aren't as dense as Pynchon, but are quite enjoyable. The new one Seveneves was great, but I also enjoyed Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash, and Reamde.

[@TheBookchemist]

I never read him but I'm very curious about his stuff! I have The Diamond Age on my shelf and will hopefully manage to check it out during 2017!

[@mitchobrien8431]

Very new to the channel, been binging your reviews all night. Very impressed with the quality of your critiques as well as your excellent articulation.what should i read first, Gravity's Rainbow or Infinite Jest? Both seem like something id love, but am a little intimidated by both. Definitely both reading experiences I want to have just dont know which one I should read first. Again, really love the content.

[@TheBookchemist]

Excellent question! Infinite Jest is by far the more enjoyable of the two, but its debt to Gravity's Rainbow is immense. There's nothing wrong with "backtracking," but I would read Pynchon first to fully understand what Wallace does with him in IJ.

[@mitchobrien8431]

@@TheBookchemistThank you! I appreciate the response. Thats kind of the direction I was leaning in. New to the channel, really love your content.

[@samdyke8337]

Ok I must ask, at the top middle of the frame is that a framed Songs of Leonard Cohen album cover?

[@TheBookchemist]

Yes!

[@samdyke8337]

@@TheBookchemist pretty good taste

[@monishgowda5975]

Bleeding edge is awesome (the way he gives Pokemon Psyduck reference gives me orgasms for his detailed research) , it's simpler than inherent vice and more. I had to put down Mason and Dixon, after the mechanical duck story. The language and the historical references were too much for an engineering guy. Currently reading GR, so far it is good, I agree with you, GR is disgusting at times (Slothrop falling down the sewer pipe scene) but enjoying so far. Bought against the day after watching your review, will read it after a year. Kudos. Great video. Keep it up.

[@TheBookchemist]

Kudos to you for reading Pynchon as an engineer :)

[@monishgowda5975]

GR is pretty fun. Since I am familiar with poisson's distribution, power series and all the other scientific terminology he throws at me. Only pain in the ass is the historical references.

[@libertyhopeful18]

Monish Gowda I'm an engineer too. I remember reading V. and it brings up a "low pass filter" and i had a total geek out moment when i saw that lol

[@monishgowda5975]

I Know that feeling. XD

[@Mr1930s]

Why was your Bleedig Edge review marked private?

[@TheBookchemist]

I made several old videos private because I felt they didn't quite represent my views anymore, or (more often) because I didn't feel they were necessarily articulate. Apologies for it - but I will re-film them when I re-read those books next ;)

[@arifinz.9218]

@@TheBookchemist Im looking for your Bleeding Edge review

i AM to be facing gravitys rainbow, Mason and dixon and Against the day this year, but i dont feel quite prepared. im reading stuff like lost in funhouse. what did you recommend that i read before embarking in this enterprise?

[@TheBookchemist]

You might want to read a few short stories by HP Lovecraft, and also HG Wells' The Time Machine, and maybe even something by Jules Verne, before you read Against the Day. It's a book that plays a lot with popular genres of the late 19th-early 20th centuries, and I think it would help you a lot to have some of those texts fresh in mind to see what Pynchon does with them in the novel. Nothing on the planet could prepare someone for Gravity's Rainbow or Mason & Dixon! They're going to be painful (GR much more than M&D) but also very rewarding. Lost in the Funhouse and such postmodern stuff might in fact give you a few hints of what you'll find in GR :)

Thank you once again Bookchemist, Ill do that : D

[@GeorgeMillerUSA]

Arqueólogos do Impossível _In Search of Lost Time._

[@Mooseman327]

I love V, The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, Inherent Vice, and Bleeding Edge. Love them. I liked Vineland. Didn't love it. Mason & Dixon and Against the Day were a bit of a chore. Couldn't find a character I identified with.

[@yogeshtak9223]

@The_Bookchemist My first thought about this comment was to ask you if you would do something similar with David Foster Wallace in focus but I read in a comment that you were over that phase so alas! The question still stands though. And although you mentioned a lot of times that your thing was POost-modernism and Post Post-modernism, it would be really interesting to know if you've read someone like Charles Bukowski and what do you think about him? Even Hemingway, perhaps, with his "simple" prose as entirely different from these complex works?

[@TheBookchemist]

Short answer: I love Hemingway, but I've never read Bukowski! I am not sure I'd like him (my tastes in poetry tend to be very boring!) but I've been suggested some of his fiction! :)

[@tadhgcronin175]

I got stuck on The Crying of Lot 49 and I got stuck on Vineland. Pynchon is writing about American counter culture and unless you are into counter culture he will drive you nuts. I suspect Americans find it much easier to pick up the obscure reference points. He is also the ultimate conspiracy theorist, Mark Dice and Alex Jones come to mind. But you have to be on the political left to enjoy Pynchon if you are on the right side of things read Mccarthy, Faulkner, Gay and even Delillo. There is a good KZbin video American History according to Thomas Pynchon and this is the best way to approach him, a historian. I've just finished Denis Johnson's Nobody Move, a great read.

[@originoflogos]

And dude, YOU NEED TO READ WILLIAM T VOLLMANN!!!! Europe Central, The American Landscape series!!!!

[@UberSchluh]

Justin Lance I'd also throw in Gaddis and Gass, the three essential William's

[@yossarian9985]

In order, best to worst, for me - Mason & Dixon, Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland, Against the Day, Lot 49.

[@mysticmouse7261]

What is an honest emotion? It's a measure of the anti-beauty aesthetic of post-sixties post- modernism to apply moral categories to works of art. Honesty is a character trait which applies to persons. A work of art is not a person.

[@A.a.n9]

Do a books you want to read in 2017 video!! :)

[@blodwynswayze1531]

Do you only get affiliate kick back from amazon.com? I tend to buy from .co.uk but would like to send a couple scheckles your way.

[@TheBookchemist]

My guess is that if you click on the links in the description box, and from that page you follow the links that take you to the UK version of Amazon, I should still get a percentage of what you buy. Thanks for the support in any case man :D

[@420happyhippy]

should do a "Top 5 David Foster Wallace Books!!!"

[@andrewmatthews9753]

He’s only wrote three novels and a few collections of essays. Maybe your joking

[@thomasvieth6063]

A good list

[@guilherme_esp]

Btw, great video! Greetings from Brazil!

[@blodwynswayze1531]

Pre watch guess: #1 will be Mason & Dixon..., or Against the Day, or Inherent Vice...

[@blodwynswayze1531]

or

[@blodwynswayze1531]

..well I was close! ;)

[@TheBookchemist]

:D

[@18p3pi]

What is your relation with american culture? It seems to me that you have an interest in it.

[@TheBookchemist]

I've never been in the US but I'm a lifelong fan of American culture - ever since I was a kid I was fascinated with it. Also, I study/teach American Literature for a living!

[@ratherrapid]

Best P is the one u'r currently reading.

[@tsvetelinmonchev624]

Le campane della domenica frate Bellissimo

[@foreverman3504]

Cool.

[@gulidaazamova2861]

❤️❤️

[@jamesoofou6723]

It's pronounced 'pine cone'

[@PreferredCustomer]

Pynchon is okay. But I think Spiderman is still better.

[@larrycarr4562]

Nice report, lose the Wayne poster por favor.