I have a goal to read one Pynchon novel a year, and for the last few years I’ve been rereading each novel in published order. This year was Vineland and next year I plan to reread Mason & Dixon. Everything has been thrown for a loop as a new novel “Shadow Ticket” is expected to be published this October. With Vineland, Slow Learner, and now Shadow Ticket my regular one Pynchon novel a year routine has unexpectedly possibly become a three Pynchon novel year.
I’m not a big fan of short stories but decided to buy and read Slow Learner this year so that I could have that completist badge under my belt for Pynchon. Slow Learner contains five short stories and it was interesting to read them and see the author’s style develop. I felt that Pynchon had found his voice by the third story. The introduction was also interesting, most notable the author admitting to using a thesaurus improperly and his embarassment of the use of the word “tentacles”.
I read this while on vacation, at the cottage, and although I haven’t been a fan of short stories in the past, I found it fit well with all the leisure activities that go with vacation. Maybe I’ll plan some Borges for next summer.