How to Read GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon (and Why!)

THE GRAVITY'S RAINBOW HANDBOOK by Robert Crayola audiobook:

THE GRAVITY'S RAINBOW HANDBOOK by Robert Crayola print edition:

A GRAVITY'S RAINBOW COMPANION by Steven Weisenberger:

GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon:

GRAVITY'S RAINBOW (audiobook) by Thomas Pynchon:

Rate, comment, and subscribe! Suggest books for me to review below.

[LeaningonJesuswithNanceBiswas]

This is encouraging. Now I understand why even reading a plot summary in itself is difficult to understand. Thanks for sharing other resources!

[preflex]

"This is definitely an R-rated book."

No way. If it was a movie, it _might_ earn an NC-17, but the MPAA would probably decline to rate it at all, because that would mean they would have to watch it all the way through.

[paulkossak]

I have always focused on the hallucinatory aspects of gravity's rainbow. Whether any chemical substances were used in the writing of the book I don't know for sure but I wouldn't exclude it

[craigscott]

I'm halfway through my first reading of GR. I've decided that if I'm going to finish, I have to relax and not fight it. You have to let the book come to you, take it at face value and realize that questions will largely be answered or understood and characters will come into focus.

[parkercushingable]

An author and podcaster Michael S Judge made a great point about GR and a number of books in general. That it's totally normal to not understand anything the first time you've read it. The act of getting through it is building new neural networks in your brain and subsequent reading will reveal more and more of the plot and content.

[aaronbrown]

I want to have a beer with this guy and just talk books.

[erikT]

When you need a book to read the book....

[NineInchFailz]

I thought I had a good idea of what was going on until Pirate goes into the guy's fantasy about the giant phlegm monster

[JCSenden]

I fear you under appreciate the value of your critique by thinking only first-time readers of Pynchon will view your video. I found your thoughts to be extremely provocative, and I have read Gravity's Rainbow several times, including for a Doctoral seminar I took at SUNY Buffalo. I am currently about to reread the book again in preparation to use it in an honors seminar I'm contemplating teaching. I found your video very helpful and commend your effort.

[thomasscuderi]

Raymond chandler is a boss. Pynchon is Shakespeare level art

[uzi_does_it_]

I always struggled with this book. The other books you mentioned are all on my short list of favourites so I suspect the timing just wasn't right with Gravity's Rainbow. I suspect it may be the right time to revisit it. 🙌

[ashulman]

Im going to plug our Pynchon in Public podcast, which is walking through all his works page by page.

[adilenerodriguez]

Just finished reading the book and as I am listening to you describe the experience as a first time reader I was just nodding my head like, "yes, exactly!" This was a very challenging book for me and I know I missed so many things in just trying to get through it this first time. Thank you for the info you provided - I wasn't sure if I wanted to give it another try, but after this video I definitely will give it another go - and use the character guide resource you mentioned.

[zbthunderwood]

Just started my second reading. About 35 pages in. It's amazing how much more smoothly it seems to be going and how little moments in the story stand out more, which I guess is because I'm no longer intimidated by the book and the task of keeping track of who's who. Although honestly I'm still scratching my head at Prentice and the giant adenoid...need to reread that part.

[sunshinesoftly]

Happy to have discovered you and also that your experience mirrors my own. Glad I am not alone in finding it difficult to keep characters straight. Yes it helps to have a mind that recalls wide range of trivia collected to understand the cultural references he makes. Thinking I will get Crayola’s to assist me -my first time reading it and halfway thru. Might be nice to have a chapter synopsis heading into each new one, the rest of the way. And Weisenberger’s to help digest it for the second read. Reading along with a YouTube narration-who sounds like Raymond Burr but isn’t.
(John Garfield is an interesting choice to pop up-considering what happened to him in his brief life and career.)

[onesecbeforetheend]

I'm 7 minutes in this video (having already read GR a few times), and I think the kind vlogger is transforming into Tristram Shandy.

[sixteennumberthree]

My cellie (J. Green) burned through this book. I made it to the part with "scat play" before I left prison.

[username]

Thanks for this info I appreciate it I'm new to his work. I like your videos as well... BTW I'm sure you've been told before... That you have a relaxing voice. You could make great ASMR content :)

[jonathanr]

For someone who's never read any Pynchon, would you recommend diving into this, or should I ease myself in with one of his other books?

[DakicSlobodan]

I remember listening to Robert Anton Wilson and Terence McKenna giving advice on reading Marshall McLuhan's books on how to read/decipher James Joyce. Any recommendations on "how to read" Stapledon's Star Maker?