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Comment by slothtrop | Hacker News Reader

I bounced off of it expecting to enjoy it because I read lots of Pynchon.

That's interesting. I never had a problem ploughing through Pynchon, and as I mentioned I bounced off Ulysses in my early 20s. I am right now in the last pages of my 1st reread of Gravity's Rainbow. I have to say I prefer Joyce now. And I think I liked my recent read of Against the Day over GR, an unexpected development.

Gotta say though, GR is still awesome. Fearless.

I rank GR and V highest, with AtD and Mason & Dixon close seconds. I like the layering of themes in GR and the whole fever-dream deliver of it. I will probably revisit Joyce.

Yeah, as I endure into old age I think I prefer a stronger narrative arc which AtD has vs. the layered cacaphony of GR. I was doing a lot of er "mind altering additives" at the time when I was reading GR with a fresh young brain. Might be a young person's book. Highly recommended for young people! It's anchored in WWII which might seem like eroded history but hmm it seems our history decides to recycle itself.

Did you make it past the opening Stephen-centered chapters? I bounced off “Proteus” for years, but as soon as I managed to struggle on to “Calypso” and the mind & habits of Mr. Leopold Bloom I was off to the races.

It's been long enough that I don't recall. I will have to re-try sometime soon. Currently burning through a few other books.

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