So I started reading Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon a couple of days ago. The book has a reputation for being hard to get through but so far (about 70 pages in as of right now) it's pretty straightforward, it has beautiful prose and can be very funny at times so I was getting the feeling I would just go through it pretty easily, but oh boy, how wrong was I. I got to this chapter where one of the main characters gets interrogated and hallucinated for a few pages, it was an extremely wild ride. I could not for the life of me follow what the hell was going on, I mean technically I did, but the meaning of it scaped me completely, there were some insane, hilarious, strange, psychotic, dreamlike stories that all ended up changing the meaning of a particular phrase (You never did the Kenosha kid). When I finished the chapter I left the book in my desk and just stared blankly at the ceiling for a few minutes, I felt so confused and just in awe at how incredible that chapter had been, how strange and unlike anything else I have ever read. Then I spent the next hour or so searching online about it and it has become one of my favorite parts of any book ever, the discourse about it is so rich, interesting and enlightning to read through, it is just an amazing experience.
So I was wondering if everyone has felt like this while when reading a book?
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PD: Sorry for my horrible english. I'm from México so don't go too hard on me lol.
jessicathehun t1_j6b8mfd wrote
Yes, absolutely. I went through this reading Pynchon as well as James Joyce. The first time it happened was while reading Ulysses. I was struggling through it, trying hard to parse out the meanings and references… and then I just let go, stopped trying, and allowed the text to become like a sea of words I was floating on. I guess I believe that style of writing is meant to be instinctive and evocative, to make you feel, to activate your deeper instincts less so than your processing and analysis functions.
Could I tell you the plot of these books? No. Am I one of the few people I know who actually read them and didn’t give up in agony? Yes.
No idea what the authors would think of this approach, but it is truly a lovely experience! Glad you found your own way to connect and enjoy a very experimental text. Congratulations.