Thomas Pynchon

[close] From Gravity's Rainbow to Infinite Jest and beyond.

[close] Back in 1973, The New York Times titled its review of Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon as follows: One of the Longest, Most Difficult, Most Ambitious Novels in Years. Here comes our winter challenge. For those who need a bit of context, this is The Wild Detectives’ third challenge after Infinite Jest and Ulysses. So you get the gist. Lengthy, complex, and featuring a large cast of characters, Gravity’s Rainbow narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II, and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military. Despite its complexity –or maybe because of it– the novel is considered by some critics to be one of the greatest American novels ever written. Starting on Wednesday, January 2, we’ll read Gravity’s Rainbow over the season at an expected progress of 10 pages per day. The plan is to finish –and have a big party– on Saturday March 23, the first Saturday of spring. There’s no need for you to have anything read for the first meeting. On that day, John Bradley, the twisted mind behind this challenge and its irrefutable host, will give a brief breakdown about the book, its controversies, its infamy, and why we’ve selected it for our latest challenge. As per usual, our meetings are held out front, at the large square table, every Wednesday evening for the length of the challenge. If you can’t make the first or some of the weekly meetings, don’t fret! Just come when you can, and join in the fun. The most important thing is (altogether now) . . . . to persevere! We’re looking forward to having you with us. There’s nothing we can’t achieve together. Not even postmodern parlance.