"Against the Day", Thomas Pynchon - 2015 / 2016 discussion

Use this topic to share links about Against the Day.

I'll start sharing what might be the greatest resource for this book: Pynchon wiki: http://pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php...

In this wiki we'll find comprehensive annotations and analysis.

Anyone who has any material for preparation, please feel free to post here or start another topic!

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against...

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Alexander Theroux's review in The Wall Street Journey: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1164327... (seems to be one of the most popular reviews four this book out there)

The Chumps of Choice blog: http://chumpsofchoice.blogspot.com.br...

Extensive discussion and annotations page by page.

I'm excited about reading this book en-masse, so to speak! I've never been part of a reading group before and, while I know there's no "right" way to approach the reading of a book, I'd like to crack-open a potential can of worms by asking a general question:

What are folks's reasons for reading ABOUT a book (author bios, book reviews, etc.) or NOT reading such informative sources before actually reading the book itself? (Background: I recently noticed a lifetime habit of reading-up on the author before finally deciding to undertake a novel and realize now that this has surely prejudiced me into foregoing some possibly-valuable intellectual experiences.)

What a great question, Rebecca!

Personally I don't have a habit on this... some books I just pick up and start reading and never read anything about it, neither before nor after...

In AtD's case, however, for being intimidated by it and because it expands through a period of time of which I don't know much about, I prefer going in prepared so I can absorb more from the book or even understand what the writer meant and get his references... So I plan on reading a bit about the 'background' to I'll know where I'm stepping in. I do try to limit this so it won't affect my reading too much... for instance: Ulysses... there is so much information out there and so many sources and meanings to practically every other word Joyce put in there, that my reading started to feel like homework instead of a hobby... so I toned it down, focused on what I believed was essential and ended up having an amazing time.

Very helpful, Renato, thank you! As I mentioned in my original post, I'm working to break a prejudice that I feel has cheated me of some fine reading experiences in the past. However, going into what could be a kalaidoscopic reading adventure with some background sounds like a good plan. Thanks - also - for digging-up some good places to start in the "links" discussion!

I'm always in awe of people that take the time to blog extensive page by page on books of this heft. They can be very helpful.

Rebecca wrote: "Very helpful, Renato, thank you! As I mentioned in my original post, I'm working to break a prejudice that I feel has cheated me of some fine reading experiences in the past. However, going into wh..."

What do you mean exactly by "cheated me of some fine reading experiences in the past"? Spoilers etc.?

Amanda wrote: "I'm always in awe of people that take the time to blog extensive page by page on books of this heft. They can be very helpful."

Yes, me too! I usually don't go that deep as it just affects my reading flow... I can't read a note on every other phrase written in a 1,000 pages book! But I know there are people who enjoy it, that's why this topic can be of some help..

I generally do some research on the book before I make the buy, then depending on the book do more research, such as looking at maps, pictures of the landmarks/terrain, cities, historical figures, and so on. I've never had a book spoiled by it, and learn so much more in the process. Even while reading it I'll continue looking stuff up.

I have a bookmark somewhere on the mathematics used in ATD, if I find it I link it.

That's generally my process as well. And I hope you find that link, should be an interesting one :-)

Renato wrote: "What do you mean exactly by 'cheated me of some fine reading experiences in the past'? Spoilers etc.?

No, unfortunately, something much more prosaic than digging into the book itself: I elected not to read it at all because of something I didn't like about the author's bio. That's what I was darkly referring to as "prejudice" - I was literally pre-judging what the author might have to say and deciding a priori that I didn't want to spend the time. Shame on me - I know! - but I'm working to surmount this fault.

Ah, I see what you mean... that's basically what Sainte-Beuve defended:

"One of Sainte-Beuve's critical contentions was that, in order to understand an artist and his work, it was necessary to understand that artist's biography. Marcel Proust took issue with this notion and refuted it in a set of essays, Contre Sainte-Beuve ("Against Sainte-Beuve"). Proust developed the ideas first voiced in those essays in À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time)."

But I understand you, Rebecca... I try to let the work speak for itself, but it's very tricky to separate the art from the artist sometimes..... first thing that comes to mind is Nabokov and Lolita...

Though Nabokov wasn't known as a pedophile, was he? He had a loving relationship with his wife.

One example where i don't let the author's real life opinions overshadow his excellent writing is Orson Scott Card. He is something of a fundamentalist Christian spitting on some human rights, but his science fiction is fantastic (and curiously liberal and even anti-church). I think the author's opinions and bio can be wildly different from their writing, which is a product of learned craftsmanship.

That's what I meant, Simon... I have read some reviews trashing Nabokov because of Lolita... they can't separate the writer from the character he wrote.

List of episodes in Against the Day

Since receiving Renato's invite to the group I have done some background reading on Pynchon and his writing. I found ThomasPynchon.com helpful, particularly the newbie page here: http://thomaspynchon.com/pynchon-newb... at the bottom of the page are links to the wiki's of each novel.

I also found another site: http://www.pynchon.pomona.edu that, in fine Pynchonesque spirit purports to be San Narcisco Community college. Nice satire but interesting discussion of books etc and links to other resources.

The Newbies section of thomaspynchon.com was pretty fun and helpful, though much of it is about Mason & Dixon and Gravity's Rainbow. Still gives you an idea of his style and how not to get lost and give up on reading him ;)

Thanks, Dave, for sharing this. I have not seen it before...

Mathematician James Grime talking about Quaternions for Numberphile, super-fascinating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BR8t...