The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon

This is a most peculiar book. First of all, I should mention that in order to get a true feel for the book and what it is saying it must be read at least twice. That being said, Lot 49 is a very interesting commentary on modern times. I want to think that the adventures of Oedipa Maas really occurred, but they seem too unbelievable to be true. I feel that the entire book was just a drug-induced trip, and somehow Oedipa solved the mystery of the "potsmaster". That basically sums it up. Confusing? You betcha. My english prof suggested that in order to read this novel you must be 1) educated, 2) paranoid and 3) stoned. Honestly, though, if you can get through all of the imagery/metaphors and absurd names (Manny DiPresso?) you can probably gain some enjoyment from reading this. But be forewarned: I think you may have to be thinking in four dimensions in order to truly comprehend it. Now that I think about it, why exactly does this book get three and a half stars? I don't know. Rating: *** 1/2 (Added 1999.10.12)

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