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marsupiliam's review against another edition
3.0
"Think about it—all it takes is, like, a idle thumb on a space bar to turn ‘Islam’ into ‘I slam’" (31).
grotta's review against another edition
4.0
Pynchon is something you absorb and feel rather than something you analyze and think about. In order to move you from your world to the book's he creates too many shaggy dogs for you to seek deep meaning in each scrawl of bathroom graffiti. After all, what's the last time you stopped (stooped?) to analyze some yourself? With Bleeding Edge Pynchon created an encompassing world that I haven't felt since Vineland, despite the incredibly different places & paces. With the pace of life in NYC, there are countless opportunities for Pynchon to make cultural comments throughout Maxine's Choose Your Own Adventure.
nicolemm's review against another edition
2.0
Being the first Thomas Pynchon book I’ve read, Bleeding Edge has not encouraged me to read any more of his novels.
Every chapter was a bombardment of characters with ridiculous names, who were featured in the book for a page or two at a time. Because of this, it was really hard to connect with each character and learn how to distinguish them from the large quantity of other characters.
Then there was the plot - or should I say, the lack of plot. Honestly, after the 477 pages in this novel, I’m not entirely sure what the plot of this book was. There were so many storylines, yet at the same time, it felt as if there were none? The first 300 pages were spent building this looming threat of 9/11, and then the event was brushed over in a few chapters.
All in all, a very confusing novel.
Every chapter was a bombardment of characters with ridiculous names, who were featured in the book for a page or two at a time. Because of this, it was really hard to connect with each character and learn how to distinguish them from the large quantity of other characters.
Then there was the plot - or should I say, the lack of plot. Honestly, after the 477 pages in this novel, I’m not entirely sure what the plot of this book was. There were so many storylines, yet at the same time, it felt as if there were none? The first 300 pages were spent building this looming threat of 9/11, and then the event was brushed over in a few chapters.
All in all, a very confusing novel.
anthofer's review against another edition
3.0
Got three quarters through and let it go. Booooring. I love Pynchon, but this was a slog.
chickadee21's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Pynchon novel I've read, and I really enjoyed it. I found it a little hard to get into, or to read too much of at a time, and that's partly because Pynchon's style is descriptive and complicated. He piles on the characters, the description, the pop culture, but he does it in a brilliant way.
I loved Maxine, the protagonist. She's a very fresh character. Pynchon does a great job creating an assortment of interesting supporting characters too.
The "conspiracy" part of the book, along with DeepArcher and what it's supposed to be/look like, was confusing, but I expect it's meant to be that way and that readers are supposed to be left wondering what it all meant.
The best part of the book is the way Pynchon describes 2000s culture, New York, and the internet revolution. He really recreates the world back then. He also does a terrific job showing how 9/11 changed and didn't change New York.
This book is not for everyone. You have to be a patient reader and be okay with red herrings, conspiracies, and not being sure exactly what's going on. You also have to be okay with "sez" instead of "says"! But if you're looking for a good book on 9/11 and 2000s culture, look no further.
I loved Maxine, the protagonist. She's a very fresh character. Pynchon does a great job creating an assortment of interesting supporting characters too.
The "conspiracy" part of the book, along with DeepArcher and what it's supposed to be/look like, was confusing, but I expect it's meant to be that way and that readers are supposed to be left wondering what it all meant.
The best part of the book is the way Pynchon describes 2000s culture, New York, and the internet revolution. He really recreates the world back then. He also does a terrific job showing how 9/11 changed and didn't change New York.
This book is not for everyone. You have to be a patient reader and be okay with red herrings, conspiracies, and not being sure exactly what's going on. You also have to be okay with "sez" instead of "says"! But if you're looking for a good book on 9/11 and 2000s culture, look no further.
kmarshall309's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
hinterlands's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I find Pynchon a joy to read and this is right in line with his best work - rapid fire, witty, and dense but always extremely readable. The ongoing bit about a tv channel that only plays biopics made me crack up every time, every combination of a subject and actor of a fictional biopic was a hit. The Anton Chekov story starring Edward Norton - Leonardo DiCaprio in the Fatty Arbuckle Story - just a delightful little detail in a book that is built by the accretion of them sentence by sentence, page by page.
getawaycardcatalog's review against another edition
So far I really dislike this book.