I just finished reading this book and think it's extraordinary. There is a New York Times review that includes the phrase
"...the author shows a magical ability to dwell effortlessly in the past..."
This statement, to me, perfectly sums up the overall effect of the novel.
As with any Pynchon novel, there are a lot of details - technical, historical, manners of speech, etc. Additionally, the author must stick to the main story, so the digressions are not as severe as I've seen before, or at least they are not so profuse as to prevent the reader from making it back to the main story (I believe it's the Line that forces Pynchon to adhere to some measure of linearity). However, the digressions are one of the things that makes Pynchon such an incredible author. As the quote points out, I am sure that I've never had a novel transport me to a place/time quite the way this novel does. Even the prose is reminiscent of 18th century writings (I will admit that I have not come across this type of writing in its exact form when reading old books, so I am making a guess that Pynchon created this type of writing, albeit with a heavy influence from 18th century literature).
As far as the lingo in this book goes, I won't try to pretend like I understood every word, every reference or even every detail. But the writing is rich enough to allow me to understand almost every scene in the book. I'm sure there are a lot of small pieces, here and there, that I didn't get. It's a complex masterpiece that can probably only be fully understood in a college class devoted to just this one book. It should be stated that, after every chunk of the book I read, I went on the internet to look up a bevy of strange words, unknown places and people, and events. As a history lesson, I've never read a book that has given me more information, or demanded from me more study. I learned a great deal of history that is not found in school textbooks.
A brief synopsis of the novel...
The first portion of the book deals with the transit of Venus, where Mason and Dixon take down the times when Venus starts to move into the path of the sun (the ingress) and then exits (the egress). The scene takes place mostly in Cape Town, South Africa. Besides the actual measurements of the transit, we are treated to a story that describes Mason and Dixon's time there, the people of the Cape, slavery and details of that area - as well as the beliefs and ways of thought of both Mason and Dixon. It's here that we get a general overview of how the two men are - Mason a melancholic and Dixon a more enjoyable and lighthearted person. Dixon's overall way about himself somehow allows him to connect more readily with the native which inhabit the region, and this also works for him later in the novel when dealing with the Indians in America. We find that Mason, the astronomer, takes some offense when he is referred to as a surveyor (Dixon was a surveyor), but Dixon takes it in stride - maybe at the expense of Mason (like when Dixon is referred to as an astronomer by some folks who consider the two to be the same). Further explored are the feelings that Mason has about his eventual boss Maskelyne. This section takes about 1/5 of the book.
Next, the surveyors (well, one was a surveyor) are off to America. This portion of the book probably takes up about 7/10 of the book. Besides the actual construction of the line, a lot of period detail is given. There are an incredible number of side stories here, as well as some interesting embellishments (these I ascribe to the narrator who allows for some Paul Bunyon-like tall tales - but I will admit that there may be purposes in these stories that I don't fully comprehend - and the narrator does mention that history can be fabricated to an extent). For instance, you'll learn about a golem, a robotic duck that poops (the duck was true, but what it does in this novel is embellished), giant vegetables grown by who knows, and a variety of other assorted astonishments. Additionally, Pynchon points out the brutality of America - the slavery, the Indian massacres (and a sad story of a school house massacred by Indians, and another sad story where Indians suffer massacre but with the added humiliation of having no one understand their last words). The Line, as it says, separates evil from good - except for Philadelphia. The Line also has a certain fuzziness in that it does not separate perfectly and indeed, some have moved certain markers for their own use. In all, though, I'm guessing that the Line itself represents a version of Pynchon's idea of entropy - that which grows as time goes by - and even considers going West as into the future, with East the past.
The level of complications during the American time are many - political, social, scientific, religious, world views, and more. The discussions between Mason and Dixon are many, and they highlight what each man's views of the real world are about, as well as their own religious and political views. Their differences show the dualism that Pynchon loves so much - these characters are not entirely different, but they are definitely different enough to have radically different ways of viewing the world, religion and politics. Mason and Dixon don't always disagree and, as the novel goes on, the characters start to feel affection, as true friends, for each other.
I would say that Mason is a deeper thinker, though not necessarily smarter, than Dixon. Mason's growing-up years are sadder than Dixon's, and I think that points to how they behaved as adults. Dixon seems more pragmatic than Mason, and he has a better sense of humor. Mason seems to blame himself for a lot of things, or at least feel saddened, at both his wife's death and his relationship with his father.
The last portion of the book deals with Mason and Dixon's time after America. There is another Venus transit, but the details are not as great as the first transit (Mason's heart is not into this transit and Dixon doesn't seem to have a lot invested either - but Dixon does get a job with the Royal Society from his time with Mason). I'd say that this part of the book more appropriately deals with how Mason and Dixon come to see each other, and cements their friendship.
The end of the book works pretty much as I had thought - I'll reveal nothing here except to say that in the past few days my feeling for the book tended towards "this book is about their friendship", and I was right about that. Heavy meaning is everywhere in the book, and the details provided have no peer in any other author working today, but still, the whole story boils down to a pretty simple idea of friendship.
In the end, I will say that I actually felt sad as I read the last page. I spent 2 months reading this book, and I hated the idea of being done with it. I lived with these characters and I came to know them - like no other book I've read before.
It's been a long time since I've read "Gravity's Rainbow", but nonetheless, I'd have to say that I took away more about these characters, and really liked them, than I can remember in "Gravity's Rainbow". Not to sound heretical or anything like that, but I think this is Pynchon's best work as an author.
As I told my girlfriend this evening, now I have to go back to reading "ordinary" books (although I still have "Against the Day" and "V" to read). This level of writing is just not found in books that you read nowadays. It's a difficult book, but the prose is wonderful, and if you do some outside reading, you'll learn a lot.
It's an impossible task for me to completely describe this book, but try I have. I would not recommend it as an introduction to someone reading Pynchon (I'd say to read "Vineland" or "Inherent Vice" for that), unless that person has read some challenging books in the past. If you are a Pynchon fan, then this book is waiting for you - it's great, complicated, and has more than you'd expect from even Mr. Pynchon.
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Reviews with images
Not “New”
I’m sure the book will be fine but this is directed at the quality in which I received my book. I ordered a “New” hardback and received what looks like I slightly used hardback. I will manage with this one but I am disappointed in the false advertising.
Top reviews from other countries
Fernando
Excelente novela, portada no tan buena
Reviewed in Mexico on November 29, 2022Eksplosion
There is no comparison for Pynchon
Reviewed in Canada on January 14, 2022Cliente Amazon
Great cover
Reviewed in Brazil on June 23, 2021
Cliente Amazon
Reviewed in Brazil on June 23, 2021
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Amazon Customer
A hauntingly captivating novel.
Reviewed in Germany on January 7, 2023
