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ozmodiar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I’m not sure if I could describe much of anything about this book but I enjoyed the ride immensely, even in its most gruesome moments. Surprisingly readable once you give up on trying to figure out what’s going on, thats not really the point anyway. I have some vague theories about what the themes of this book are, like about the increasing confusion between human and machine and the postwar shift towards a more nostalgic and dreamlike mode of viewing the world, but honestly I’m grasping at straws here. It’s a crazy romp that feels like difference genres of novel spliced together, there’s probably over 100 characters new themes and ideas are introduced right up until the very end. Hard read but fun and funny in a way that I loved because it didn’t feel like there was some smug author behind it all trying to make me laugh. Pynchon refuses to judge any of his characters. It just feels so natural and unserious, but being as huge and ambitious as it is, there’s a lot to ponder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Slavery, Torture, Body horror, and Racism
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