Jaime --
Although I would normally steer you toward Pynchon-L, there is a major flame war raging these past few days on the list that would send the heartiest of souls running for cover! Besides, they've just begun a group reading of Pynchon's Slow Learner, so I don't think your question will fall on receptive ears at the moment.
Nevertheless, you may want to check out the Pynchon-L archives at http://www.waste.org. To my knowledge, there have been at least two group readings of Gravity's Rainbow over the years, and many of the posts may serve as a guide to your reading.
I would also recommend Steven Weisenburger's A Gravity's Rainbow Companion. It's an excellent resource that will help you make sense of the chronology, point-of-view shifts, and sundry allusions in the novel (all of which can get pretty disorienting after 90 pages or so ...).
My best advise: Don't be put off by the passages that seem to make no sense to you. It's an incredible book, and one that is unbelievably rewarding with multiple readings (I've read it thrice), but take it at a comfortable pace, relish the beauty of the language, and accept the fact that no one will ever "get it" the first time through with that novel!
Good luck!
Tim Strzechowski
From: Jaime Stallard
Okay, maybe someone can help me out. I started reading Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow about a week ago. I am through about the first 90 pages, but at times I feel completely confused about what is going on. I am having trouble deciphering between reality and dreams or drug induced fantasies in the book. I feel like I'm missing what is important in and I'm hoping someone has some seasoned advice to dispense about how to interpret or even comprehend this book.
---Jaime
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Received on Fri Nov 1 21:53:40 2002
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