Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Steve Erickson (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The end result of his endeavor is less an illustrated novel than a series of eerie, high art interpretations." Marcela Valdes, Washington Post

"He draws a lurid and intoxicating netherworld, complete in its own right…an illuminating companion to the novel." Emily Barton, Los Angeles Times

Product Description

Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow (1973), set in an alternative-universe version of World War II, has been called a modern Finnegan’s Wake for its challenging language, wild anachronisms, hallucinatory happenings, and fever-dream imagery. With Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow, artist Zak Smith at once eases and expands readers’ experience of the book. A leading exponent of punk-based, DIY art, Smith here presents his most ambitious project to date — an art book exactly as long as the work it’s interpreting: 760 drawings, paintings, photos, and less definable images in 760 pages. Extraordinary tableaux of the detritus of war — a burned-out Königstiger tank, a melted machine gun — coexist alongside such phantasmagoric Pynchon inventions as the “stumbling bird” and “Girgori the octopus.” Smith has stated his aim to be “as literal as possible” in interpreting Gravity’s Rainbow, but his images are as imaginative and powerfully unique as the prose they honor.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 784 pages
• Publisher: Tin House Books; Revised Edition edition (November 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097731278X
• ISBN-13: 978-0977312788
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.9 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #470,446 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "There's all these cool kinds of pictures!", June 24, 2008

By	Gregory Parrish "zengreg" (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow (Paperback)

My two sons (Zachary and Alexander) have been saving their allowance and doing extra chores to save money for a Nintendo DS (they save half, my wife & I pay half). This has been a huge deal for them because they each really want one.

Yesterday, my wife took the boys to a bookstore, and 7 1/2 year old Zach saw Zak Smith's book based on Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow". He could not, would not put it down; he was mesmerized. He's not one to want, want, want, but this, he had to have. He looked at various and sundry art-related books for at least a half hour, and kept coming back to this book. Which was $40. After much discussion and pondering, Zach was resolute: My wife had a $16 credit at the store which she let him use and he kicked in $20 of his $27 to get the book. The point is, he gave up his Gameboy money for an art book. A big deal. He said "You know how interested I am in art, Mom!"

I've read a bit of Pynchon ("Vineland") but when I've leafed through "Granvity's Rainbow" in the past, I've thought it challenging, circular, dense. Very much like, though not so much as, the uber-interpretive "Finegan's Wake" by James Joyce (referenced, coincidentally, by Zak Smith's book). So at once I was impressed; thumbing through Zach's Zak book, even more so. It IS mesmerizing; page after page of fascinating, provoking, stirring beauty. You can get lost in there.

Not only do I now have a renewed vigor to tackle "Gravity's Rainbow", but am inspired to have (with Zach's permission) Zak Smith's profoundly astonishing book along for the cerebral roller coaster, a benevolent guide to provide dazzling clues as I navigate the former's intellectually demanding jungle.

Whether $26.37 or $39.95, worth every penny...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of praise, one small complaint, January 16, 2007

By	Mr. Apollo (new york, ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow (Paperback)

First off, many thanks to amazon.com for stocking the hardcover slipcase edition of this book. At first, they only had the paperback available online. I wrote to their customer service asking them to also carry the hardcover, which they soon added. It is a volume that you might want to consider spending the extra money to buy in the hardcover edition. It's worth it.

My only complaint with the book is that the images are not larger. Too much white space on the pages. The originals were 8.5 x 11. It would probably be prohibitively expensive to reproduce the 700+ drawings at that size, but it is still a shame that the images aren't larger. On the other hand, I just flipped through my copy and yes, the pictures are incredible.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Great Artist., December 30, 2007

By	L. Olson "olsonl13" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow (Paperback)

I'm totally blown away by this book, after seeing these drawings at the Walker I had to own it. Check out his website to see all the drawings on line.