Against the Day

Sad as it is, I decided to stop reading Hard-Boiled Wonderland. I didn't like it enough, and I hate reading a book I feel mediocre about, since it rarely happens. And as my mom always tells me, there's so many books out there, why stick with one you don't like? So I consulted my To Read list, but of course I ended up picking one not on it. A few years ago, I tried reading Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. It was beyond dense, and I needed to seriously work with the text to manage an understanding, but it was such a fun process (up until I got completely lost). When I saw his Against the Day in Barnes and Nobles, I was so happy. I love Pynchon's zany stories, his wild scenarios. I was a little hesitant to buy it, wondering if it would end up being as indecipherable as Gravity's Rainbow eventually was. I lucked out, though, at least so far. I'm only about 60 pages in (out of its total 1104) but apart from a never-ending list of characters, it is completely accessible. I'm going to read this novel as most people seem to suggest: slowly, paying attention, enjoying every page.

For what it's worth, the character Pugnax was the deciding factor in whether I should read Against the Day or not. Pugnax is a dog, but not a regular dog. Part of an air-ship crew, he reads books and can hold a small conversation. Of course, he is still just a dog. I don't know why I loved the beginning of the novel so much, but I do know that the image of a dog turning pages with his snout made me smile.

I will soon post a list of characters similar to what I did with The Greem House! Happy Veterans Day, readers!