From the Bookshelf of "Against the Day", Thomas Pynchon - 2015 / 2016…

Against the Day

Thomas Pynchon

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Against the Day

Against the Day, Pt. 5: "Rue du Départ" (p. 1063-1085)
By Renato · 11 posts · 32 views

last updated Feb 28, 2016 12:42PM

Against the Day, Pt. 2: "Iceland Spar" (p. 119-428)
By Renato · 20 posts · 58 views

last updated Feb 06, 2016 11:18AM

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What Members Thought

Apr 28, 2015 Manny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, well-i-think-its-funny, translation-is-impossible, linguistics-and-philosophy, older-men-younger-women, history-and-biography, parody-homage, science-fiction, life-is-joyce

It had been some time since the Chums of Chance had last visited Candlewood University, and as soon as they were on terra firma they made their way directly to Professor Vanderjuice's office. The Professor, who was in the process of calibrating what looked like a complex optical instrument, welcomed them effusively. "Randolph! Miles! Lindsay! Darby! Chick! How wonderful to see you!" He gave Pugnax's head a pat, receiving a friendly growl of recognition from the canine savant, and exchanged manly ...more

158 likes · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2011 Ian "Marvin" Graye rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pynchon, reviews-5-stars, marx-bros-and-karl, reviews, exert-yourself, read-2015

PYNCHON IS THE UTOPIUM OF THE MATH CLASSES:

A Rhapsody of Exquisitely Mindful Pleasures

"Nobody ever said a day has to be juggled into any kind of sense at day's end."
[Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"]

Most authors inadvertently encourage us to be lazy readers. They make it too easy to read their fiction. We expect authors to comply with conventions of story-telling, a manageable number of characters, a narrative arc, a sense of relevance and progress towards a conclusion, a climax, a goal, ...more

69 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2011 Sue rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, books-read-from-my-tbr-list-2017, my-own-books-2017

An amazing book, describing a time of turmoil and discovery, showing the best and worst of mankind and individual men and women. This multifaceted story begins at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 and ends after the world altering events of World War I. The world is moving into new areas; armies on horseback are giving way to men with machine guns. The wide open West of the United States is being increasingly hemmed in by wealthy industrialists who hire "goons" with guns to break strikes. In Euro An amazing book, describing a time of turmoil and discovery, showing the best and worst of mankind and individual men and women. This multifaceted story begins at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 and ends after the world altering events of World War I. The world is moving into new areas; armies on horseback are giving way to men with machine guns. The wide open West of the United States is being increasingly hemmed in by wealthy industrialists who hire "goons" with guns to break strikes. In Europe, the structure of the continent is changed by the outcome of WWI. And against this background, there is a large cast of characters living big lives. Anarchists around the globe strike out against those that would control them.

Then there are the metaphorical levels of the book.. Here the major motif is light in its many forms and applications: natural, man-made, possibly supernatural. Mentions of light occur constantly and light is the subject of some characters's work. Time and space also are constantly considered; I.e. slipping in and out of present time or space, etc. If the book were a bit shorter, I might consider a re-read to track these themes. One of the most spectacular instances of light is that of the Tunguska Event which unnerved people in a large swath of the world for some time.

As I neared the end, I began to think about the broad themes of this book: light (? as an entity in itself, as a force), light vs darkness, anarchy and anarchists, power, evil, war, money behind most evil and only limited good. And the characters, well they are geniuses and dummies, killer's and serial lovers, anarchists and strikebreakers, millionaires and peasants, dreamers and realists.... In short, they are all of humanity and some who may not be of this world.

Like Mason & Dixon, the other Pynchon book I've read (and recommend) Against the Day is historical fiction, fantasy, sci fi, a picture of a world on the brink of massive change--economically, politically, in the military, scientifically, geopolitically, essentially in almost every way. The only difference is the century. Pynchon has given us a work that in some ways is indescribable but is a wonder to read. As I have said before, I will readily admit: I do not understand much of it, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment.

...more

69 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2015 Michael rated it it was amazing

Shelves: postmodern, new-york, italy, 1001-books, fiction, satire, germany, fantasy, turkey, bulgaria

This is a very difficult book to assail and digest but worth it for me to see how the pomo master keeps up with the scene of post-postmodern he has spawned. The wonderful new weird I can’t get enough of (such as the three M’s of Mitchell, Murakami, Mieville), and others I keep trying (like DeLillo and Lethem). I bring these others up to convey that if you like them, this may be worth the ascent.. There is something in it for most readers (mystery, espionage, fantasy, historical fiction, family s ...more

38 likes · Like · see review

Aug 19, 2011 Rayroy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One day I’ll get around to writing a review for this, my favorite book I’ve read, I’m part of small group of people, a group of readers that have read all off Thomas Pynchon’s novels, I should be happy that I reached this accomplishment, and I am, but also depressed about the whole thing, “Against The Day” and all of Thomas Pynchon’s work were the ultimate escape from the soul sucking, bleak, horribly lost, greed filled , over sensationalized media era of time we call now, it’s why I read so mu ...more

26 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2015 J rated it really liked it

Shelves: american-fiction

Phew, finally finished all ~1100 pages of it. From the man widely considered the best of the big, sprawling novelists comes this; his biggest most sprawlingest. Against the Day is a MASSIVE examination of the world from the late guilded age into the Post WWI landscape, much like his previous Mason & Dixon, it tries to showcase some of the roots of our own hyper-technologized world through an annihilatingly huge sensibility.

Never has Pynchon written a book with more major characters, more globe h ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2013 Ray rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, literary-fiction, favorites

This is the masterpiece that Gravity's Rainbow is widely (and to me unaccountably) touted to be. One day, after I have read this a second and perhaps a third time, I'll be ready to enter a real review of this novel. For now I can only say, if I were banished to a desert island and could only take one book with me, this would be the one. And I would never feel deprived. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review