From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists…

The Crying of Lot 49

Thomas Pynchon

Start date: October 1, 2015

Finish date: October 31, 2015

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of the October 2015 short read Poll
[close] Winner of the October 2015 short read Poll

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Group Reads

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What Members Thought

Sep 22, 2015 Matthew rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, library, completist-book-club, 2015

Maybe 3.5 stars

It was weird! It was unique!

Hey, Thomas Pynchon - could you write us a book where a woman goes to oversee the estate of a real estate mogul and along the way deals with her DJ husband on LSD, an adulterous pedophilic lover, a Nazi psychiatrist on a shooting spree - all in search of information about a secret society who's only anti-government movement is to run their own postal system (which she becomes intrigued about because of a play she sees with one word that seems out of pla ...more

42 likes · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2014 Brittney rated it did not like it

For my entire read through of this book, I felt like I should have been back in my 11th grade English class with my teacher who loved to throw these "intellectually stimulating" books at us to over-analyze paragraph by paragraph just for the sake of doing it. There's a review that talks about how this is the kind of book that people only like because they "get it" and can look down upon the people who don't. I completely agree with that. While I too "get it," that doesn't make this book any more ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2014 Jessica rated it it was ok

I'm not real sure what I read. I feel as though I need a companion guide to grasp all the layers this author is known for. If anyone has dome insight, feel free to shoot me a pm.

On the surface, there were some humorous and entertaining moments. This was my first experience with Pynchon and it was okay. At least I have it a shot, right? ...more

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Jun 15, 2014 Greg Cahl marked it as to-read

As with many of Pynchon's novels it is difficult to simply sum the work up, this despite the fact that the entire novel is only 127 pages long. The Crying of Lot 49 addresses many issues, some broad and overarching such as the political and social, others more personal and individual such as the endless intricacies within relationships inside different contexts. At times, the barrage of different scenes, the interrelationships of characters within their environments (both literal and otherwise) ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Amy rated it did not like it

Very few books I can't finish. Not sure why this is considered a classic. There was pages upon pages with no punctuation and it was difficult to read. Story jumped all over the place. Gave up. ...more

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