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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one is somehow slightly more challenging but also simultaneously more accessible than the average Pynchon novel? The prose itself is a little more challenging, as it is stylized to be antiquated to the time period. But the actual plot is less confusing - while certainly there are chapters and sideplots that still confound me, I didn't end the book with the same feeling of "what the fuck did I just read" that V or Gravity's Rainbow left me. Possibly my favorite of the bunch.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Probably my current favorite book. If you love American history, conspiracies, anti-colonialism, critiques of the Enlightenment, the Enlightenment, meta-fiction, fun fiction, dirty jokes, or 18th century dialeckt, then this book 'twere for you.
The audio book version of Mason and Dixon is impressive. I originally read the book upon its publication back whenever and thought I'd revisit it while on my daily walks. The reader's handling of the multitude of voices and accents displays a remarkable talent.
As someone who loves American colonial history and enjoys the writing style from that era, I thought this would be a fun read. I was so wrong. It is said the Pynchon is an acquired tastes so starting with a book like Mason & Dixon was probably not the best idea. I had to refer to a “reading guide” numerous times to figure out what certain words (real or made up) meant.
I did enjoy the story for the most part (could have been 200-300 pages shorter), but it started to get a little weird the last ⅓ of the book. There were some hilarious parts, yet it's not something that I will ever read again or even recommend. That being said, I'm glad I finally checked it off my reading bucket list.
I did enjoy the story for the most part (could have been 200-300 pages shorter), but it started to get a little weird the last ⅓ of the book. There were some hilarious parts, yet it's not something that I will ever read again or even recommend. That being said, I'm glad I finally checked it off my reading bucket list.
This book is a wonder, through and through. It speaks of the America that was, the America that might have been, the America that really is, all at once. It speaks of friendship and ambition and the marvels of science and the magic of spirit. It's profound and it's silly, it's funny and it's wise, it's smart and it's dumb, it's sophisticated and it's so very juvenile. It's long, obviously. It's just bonkers, and I expect to read it over and over and over again in a probably unwinnable attempt to wring out and take in every last drop of its essence.
5 stars, 5 stars, 5 stars.
FIRST-TIME REVIEW:
Two pals bustle about making discoveries, rarely understood and often rendered obsolete.
That's life!
5 stars. A mammoth undertaking, a fabulous book, a Lit teacher's wet dream. I understood maybe half of it, and half again of that was dirty jokes.
5 stars, 5 stars, 5 stars.
FIRST-TIME REVIEW:
Two pals bustle about making discoveries, rarely understood and often rendered obsolete.
That's life!
5 stars. A mammoth undertaking, a fabulous book, a Lit teacher's wet dream. I understood maybe half of it, and half again of that was dirty jokes.