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clerner215's review against another edition
4.0
Funny and flirting with fantasy, this was an enjoyable read. The lead character Maxine has some great lines and the plot reminded me of Gibson or Murakami at times. Heavy on name dropping and cultural references (all of which I actually got), this book seems like it will be dated in 10 years. And got me thinking maybe that is part of the reason this book was so much more readable than Gravity's Rainbow. Also there was nothing so fantastical as the talking lightbulbs or German film pastiches of GR. It lacked the subtle plot lines that are confusing until they converge, the little rewards from reading Pynchon's other works, or perhaps I missed them. But all in all a very good book.
tyanna25's review against another edition
Encuentro al estilo del autor un poco molesto. Quizá le dé una oportunidad con otro libro o en otro momento.
davidveloz's review against another edition
3.0
Bleeding Edge has mostly been stabled with the almost-ran ponies in the Pynchon lite barn, and while it is not a complex anti-linear quarterhorse like Gravity's Rainbow, it's not a lopey mule like Vineland either. For one, Maxine Tarnow is one of his best protagonists in recent years: a mother of two, an untethered jew, a disgraced fraud investigator-turned-private eye -- she's part Rhoda Morgenstern, part Sam Spade, sexy, guilty, determined, smart, and she almost seems like a real character in a real book. That's rarely the case in Pynchon's work (by design), and I was happily surprised. Second, much has been made of Bleeding Edge as a love letter to New York before 9/11 or as a meditation on the human connection with chaos and how one cannot live without the other. Neither view resonates with me.
When the planes crash into the towers Bleeding Edge, it happens "off camera", and it is almost a non-event. Pynchon doesn't milk a single drop of emotion from the attacks, nor does he minimize them. The paranoia and irrationality that pervade the book almost slip away into something close to calm for a moment before returning in full force. It reminds me of a line in the film Cutter's Way: "You know, the routine grind drives me to drink. Tragedy, I take straight." The use of 9/11 in Bleeding Edge might be the single most original thing Pynchon has done in twenty years, and that's a high compliment.
But the paranoia, the lazy-jazz writing, the late capitalism-as-rhizome structure and invention are all slightly comforting -- it's good see old Tom still at it! -- rather than startling or disturbing. By the end the entire thing seems to disappear back into sand, and even if that were "the idea", success only leaves nothing to talk about.
When the planes crash into the towers Bleeding Edge, it happens "off camera", and it is almost a non-event. Pynchon doesn't milk a single drop of emotion from the attacks, nor does he minimize them. The paranoia and irrationality that pervade the book almost slip away into something close to calm for a moment before returning in full force. It reminds me of a line in the film Cutter's Way: "You know, the routine grind drives me to drink. Tragedy, I take straight." The use of 9/11 in Bleeding Edge might be the single most original thing Pynchon has done in twenty years, and that's a high compliment.
But the paranoia, the lazy-jazz writing, the late capitalism-as-rhizome structure and invention are all slightly comforting -- it's good see old Tom still at it! -- rather than startling or disturbing. By the end the entire thing seems to disappear back into sand, and even if that were "the idea", success only leaves nothing to talk about.
geekigirl's review against another edition
4.0
This man has a way of putting words and ideas together that is unmatched. I really enjoyed reading this even though the story isn't resolved at the end.
chillandreadblog's review against another edition
4.0
Η Νέα Υόρκη την εποχή που έχει σκάσει η φούσκα των εταιρειών πληροφορικής, στο τέλος των μεγάλων πάρτυ και λίγο πριν πέσουν οι δίδυμοι πύργοι. Οι λίγοι "άρχοντες" του χώρου προσπαθούν να τα "πάρουν" όλα και τα παιχνίδια κατασκοπείας δίνουν και παίρνουν. Ο Πίντσον μας μεταφέρει την ατμόσφαιρα της εποχής δίνοντας μια δική του θεωρία για το τι μπορεί να έγινε τη μέρα που σταμάτησαν τα πάντα. Απλά απολαυστικό!
explodinghead's review against another edition
4.0
I very much enjoyed BLEEDING EDGE. It's strong, and it's packed with good ideas. Pynchon, who loves to play around in period settings, sets this book in a post-dotcom crash, pre-9/11 lull that very much resembles The Zone from GRAVITY'S RAINBOW. Paranoia. Intrigue. Shady characters. The works. The setting provides an interesting perspective, as the audience knows more about upcoming events, whether it be acts of terrorism, advances in technology, or changes in the political landscape, than the characters within the story.
The protagonist Maxine Tarnow was a lot of fun to spend time with -- a private eye, forensic accountant who is not afraid of using sex as a tool of the trade, but loyal and devoted mother. The dialog is crisp, and Pynchon's prose is, as always, highly volatile. It should be noted that his is a bit toned down compared to GRAVITY'S RAINBOW or THE CRYING OF LOT 49, but that ain't a bad thing. There's a sure-handed confidence that Pynchon works with that is both comfortable and beautiful.
If you've enjoyed any of Pynchon's previous work, I'd recommend this one. Even, if you're new to the author, I'd still recommend BLEEDING EDGE for readers looking for a smart, funny twist on the typically flaccid whodunnit narrative.
The protagonist Maxine Tarnow was a lot of fun to spend time with -- a private eye, forensic accountant who is not afraid of using sex as a tool of the trade, but loyal and devoted mother. The dialog is crisp, and Pynchon's prose is, as always, highly volatile. It should be noted that his is a bit toned down compared to GRAVITY'S RAINBOW or THE CRYING OF LOT 49, but that ain't a bad thing. There's a sure-handed confidence that Pynchon works with that is both comfortable and beautiful.
If you've enjoyed any of Pynchon's previous work, I'd recommend this one. Even, if you're new to the author, I'd still recommend BLEEDING EDGE for readers looking for a smart, funny twist on the typically flaccid whodunnit narrative.
wordmaster's review against another edition
2.0
At certain spots this didn't make sense, like literally didn't seem to be saying anything grammatically sensible, until I read it out loud and then those sentences suddenly leapt to almost musical life. I felt silly but I smiled as I did it. Pynchonian Phonics! Sound-it-out's not just for kids!
But when you do prepare to take some deeeeep (fuggeddhabowdid) breaths because this time Pynchon's taking New Yawk under his wing and if you've read Vineland he sends the city soaring to that same wacked-out hyperbolic level but this time it's America's other coast's turn.
2.5 stars. A bit of lighter Pynchon fare, if you can believe that, and shoe-in for my least favorite of his work. It can be striking while reading but for me it lacked the depth and staying power of something like M&D. Might be a "completionists only" title.
But when you do prepare to take some deeeeep (fuggeddhabowdid) breaths because this time Pynchon's taking New Yawk under his wing and if you've read Vineland he sends the city soaring to that same wacked-out hyperbolic level but this time it's America's other coast's turn.
2.5 stars. A bit of lighter Pynchon fare, if you can believe that, and shoe-in for my least favorite of his work. It can be striking while reading but for me it lacked the depth and staying power of something like M&D. Might be a "completionists only" title.