The book itself has a beautiful cover, nice backing and quality pages roughed on the edge. Nothing more can be said in the way of praise.
Many reviews are there for the reading, mostly written by people hoping to impress themselves and others by following some "simple rules" for this so called postmodern epic.
From the Pynchon wiki site:
"Lindsay Gillies:Four short principles for newbies:
Read each word, one after the other. Gravity's Rainbow is a deeply interconnected stream of jazz — you can't skim it.
Let the stream affect you without trying to figure it out. Give up to it.
Commit to getting through the first 50 pages. It's something very different than most other stuff you've read; not harder, just harder to hear.
If, after 1, 2 & 3, you still don't connect, don't write it off, just put it away for a while."
In other words don't bother thinking for yourself. In the postmodern world talent, effort, plot and basic writing skills simply get in the way of....
"The major difficulty in reading Gravity's Rainbow is one of form, of knowing where the hell we are and what is going on. Though GR is often touted as a formless novel, this is a serious misnomer which misreads lack of plot for lack of narrative coherence. " - a positive review
Well, nevermind.
Discussing this masterpiece would only sully it.
Gravity's Rainbow is available at your local bookstore for $20.00. While more expensive than fireword it is more compact, softer and burns with a surprising amount of heat. Curl up with one, by the fire, sing the banana breakfast song and watch as the flames turn the pages for you.
"Time to gather your arse up off the floor,
(have a bana-na)
Brush your teeth and go toddling off to war.
Wave your hand to sleepy land,
Kiss those dreams away,
Tell Miss Grable you're not able,
Not till V-E Day,
oh,Ev'rything'll be grand in Civvie Street(have a bana-na)
Bubbly wine and girls wiv lips so sweet--
But there's still the German or two to fight,
So show us a smile that's shiny bright,
And then, as we may have suggested once before--
Gather yer blooming arse up off the floor!" - GR
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