Gravity’s Rainbow Companion Sources and Contexts for Pynchon’s Novel by Steven Weisenburger ‘The University of Georgia Press(1988 bythe niet Gee eight Seria Mepnsher Tp er “Te perish nk thin or bar of Cong Cag a Pabetin Dae hab: 1 Pecan Tomas. Canty aon 1 The ISBN 04055 alk pape |SBN 0001063 pb alk pee ih ier Calging ia Pn Dae Contents ‘Acknowledgments / vit Introduction / 1 Part Beyond the Zero /13 Pad Un Perm’ au Casino Hermann Goering / 103 Pere In the Zone 147 Pad The Counterfrce | 261 bibliography / 317 Index /329Acknowledgments many way dl this Yok ws fun It meant reaiogs a Amica x vemacilat geography, ad tory yearald news perio —to ‘penton usta ee Sle I wanred ino” Aw discovery each week, t the pea of my research, Krwas sometimes eons but alvays eo ‘wad ease offends and colleagues who rook an interest. am tll {oul eld ialong Roger Sl, fortwo reson or showing tht oe fealdenoy thee serenlptns pat of acbolaiip and for abaing is ‘ean of Crevity’s Rainbow when he novel was et pblised. Maesen {Gls or suggesting 197 de Ishould write tis book {poe lea lor for yar butonce underway was helped snambe of iad And colenges Saf members athe M1 King Liar at he Unter of enescky povided invaluable siance, and Lepeily want to thank [otras one nd Batbara Wight of eriar Loan a ella Rob Ae, Dan fale, Bal Grissom, ad Lut Rein of King Libary Reference. See ‘ea Moos ret ome ilar poet on Ga’ The Recognition rade Wise wgestons a prepared the fist dae Molly Hite ate suggestions Indeacourgement Toalll Pynchon’ schol ede, acknowl i the mntes an ted in che bibliography, | owe lnnumeabe eb, Cl. lenge tthe Univerty of Kentucky answered wht moat hae sce (he oldest posible salmagunis of ques ant request For tee lp ad acoutgeaent am especial tefl o Tom Ale, Geld Aly, Roget [Andeson, Tom Blues, Je Bryan, John Cael, Guy Davenp, oe Grrr, an Jon Shawcross. Thanks 10 Bob Henenwy for supporting the ‘wok whe he war chairman, adn parclr for helping mein de {nd time of rom my departmental resonable ats nla ine The {exeach and pepsin othe bok wee anise by nt fom the Un ‘ery of entchy Research Foundation To compete ina at also ‘managed eo steal time fom anatber prot that was Belo assisted by 2 {ant tom the National Endowment fo the Humanities. ais Bolter td lr epe jb ol copyediting down othe ls line our reference, And a {he Unierty of Georg Pre Debrs Water ha ued thi poet lth ee fal he deta that aes, Agi hank al ly to Suse, sl ny best end, eho hows this projet ss al Inst this book's or you.Introduction Ut et dele of Gravity's Ralnbaw was wnt out a nest, ny ‘esiptoneagnets quale paper The Me ad grown pat ing + wit in Mex fom the wring nV Pynchon fe tye shad ben put and lor secon hk, The ying of Lar 4 Pn Sieh seem to have forgotten mos of what | hough 1 leaned pl then," be would later lament too hah exe of his oe work [Sor ‘earner 2 was completed i southern Caloris New York Vit. tos to is caveite rooms perchol two Blocks up rm the Pcie x Mas haan each Lon Angele rob, really ao deh and vom bk Selves One ruling spn of the place was a monkish impermanence foe, his wm nanchalan eccetety.Aranged onthe shelves wee te ssoument of piggy banks sd cyt books ato swine, He delighted {at's wale who cold pool Shiley Temple singing On the Good Ship Lipp" On is desk were depots staty various eter mi. fells sod tore nde sects Atop them sod a roche contacted ‘och tone of leno found bet penal eye exter (he Kind ‘which ou pel ofthe eolacrew wraper) with medle e nove ads ‘eft paper lip serving as chip ‘Gravy Rainbow was leased on Ferry 2, 1973, war the ately ical sig of Pisces, he watery house of deans and dle, °Malaes ‘pewstthin torent, endorse incarnate” wt Publishers Why WichacM Noxon, satiised nthe novell paras Rcd M,Z, sea retaing to "ihe Wateate mesa an bese labia one ‘ters and mucho the ation sil beleed him "Thomas Pynchon’ big bok gucky cnfemed hi atone of the few owls of tapecedentel enn t reget the pnt ra, Hen wat the Great American Novels ast The reviewers vt commparany terete Moby Dick and Ulates.There wast vermarable ay ove the Pulte: sar with jigs so sharply ddd agains asec over the book tat no swardin ton was gven—the oly yar is ever happened “here vas as Howells ela forte none ut pesking ou Pen etl a up comic vin Corey made ight of the honor That enti oops bs long since ye eo more sober aseasmente of Fymchon’s secheveent, bats cs have also tended toward supe ‘Tony Tanner (75, for isan, haste tok "both ce ofthe pest ‘Tony Tenner (75), for instance, heile the book es “both one of the great2 aude tance tov Rainbow hasbeen pblsbed in French Rainbow, 1975 {Geman [as De aden de urbe, 1981, a Spanish as Baro de edad, 1975) Epos ofthe bok have ben watlated to fp ee Though ll of thi, Python ha manly gud hs rvcy, Ose tps i maa be kei yokes few ket By ‘coats to his own another work an br nd very eth ‘Spleoneeany forthe New ik Time ok Review There av feito ‘rtm forcing work. Sl, we know ite sal bout he suthot matinee age be all nanos of velit re oie interviewed tour their work and compos rons, Pychon Is mum. With Gray Jos Raton, talerssentencePyachononce gore Witgnt,"the text all hat the cae Tice cm tf te nd i a cede anwers Ata minima, these querion included: What she ‘tewte af Cri’ Rendon! What te ts mow peste nd sig ‘hn sel ears! The aus or aes and parodies? The ous ‘crt Python tansormel into Rein! The point of connection between fem the one hand poctts of scene abd echnoogy and (onthe ote a felis eal’ Pets mo ba of al wanted Ino coerenreadesy We of he single when and whee oy event, The cio wey was to bein enotating he ext "A Scrat Rnb Cieponin i oended wo Serve as a compen sive sure Yon on yn novel Tae allowing wots were wate 0 five the demand of the noel langue sil, its obscure a inely pote etereqes, They re mean 0 document source and 00 feats ote etext el oe contexts ht open the edn 8" nl unsuspected aye, The Companion was conceived a line y line {uel indeed ght ree none sure su, eneclpe Fentbook mo! nde, dcooay, expen, qacte, and ise of texts trots ey twenty Bre ithe Batam etn ‘rte ne th commentay aera Tea presenti mak it ‘tough some em have dubee ceeped soe. Fr example, Fyicon furs reat et for popula song iL hits a anes (0 thee ok a fom te time of dsloge in Pasticman comes to Tripper of spec fom heim Corblaca and ote ex wil stly ‘onic echoes Ihave mine My am wasn eomplesi a dese Grae ‘ys Rambo Lug sway by reference eo Murphys aw, but compre a ace ofthe Bc Te samara had co walla thin ne ee, ain menusctive notes Tfound, far example, that a rare coiniene fhe cient endeared in 145: Ee Suny fll {Sal Fons DoF he Flt Tansllon uy, Spur & vente soni ob we eee oe pall gy ‘retro for yachon ton fled rc hay ta hc all prt inthe ng npn eel sac of he tovel We Pach citer svete oh patna 0 ee, ws twa ly ee F "A i aly: Render air wih illo and Sedan notto sot ipso thet Nees for ee wl ema tha Thee {Sia tol cold eoiy ave lowed thems, of asa inter precy mal ano Bu lor an ea, he an, aly ha aces to neve Svein of the race an ele Upc, Th oes wel ies on an crag ol Tw iad beon te ed when gen scaing Choi Ren sow bs two dete peeing pra wht chs SUL Tne adap ie lon ne wth ly, Crpisngchon Am te ene sorry enya eon ul git roooanced among many of races strc [Snr wi abc uly any at ats pacer nigh aeons dg ‘Eonowel Se histo he bon, he oe bev seh in’ woud ptr of sn ne ath se tne pang ano ther ite ange Toga, arb uel te se {enim tht eal eure sd fac eget nero ed ae ‘omedch spy Tey new, the mow icant covery of the anoint Cerys Pas nen tesla tira he noes {Sicpr isnt rents item hc Craton Iai are tng pois oc era drew, bt pots st Pochon tee hope euros, Tis meas tha ener mike oe ‘Sct modes jpecs Ur nd ave hk encom to inet oe mig wel ead Grays Rao aon he ey ‘ie osc pte ort «ee tt mre aa 2 {fetes nom etre odin ete fue ne {tke opts epi bem an, lati inrton end ee ten fet al hc American eons af Gray Rabo: the Viking [1973] which appeared im both hardcover and as a tradeapetback, de Banta 197) wich es senle an lengthier format and the ew rlaed engin 1987 which wot rm he ae ptng ‘ofthe Viking anon Heel gh down othe ave at) es trom de native il ested, bllace by peal ie marber for fdiins- "forthe Viking Pein ahd" the Bana ike he 'v592.25.26, 090.3253. the Genera Forces Progam Sondy MacPherson atthe Orga Het, the "astan to” Paying Inthe bacoand estblibe th ime of tes vents, BBC program thing echt nthe Timer of London lat Me MacPherson on Suny ‘ity August a 1013 rar and tno ober ime Sting the month Seeaie Via 39-aon, Sarces and coaentalreerences are rm tems generally ted in the Ulonsphy, and many annotations are erosselrened sig the Vie ing/Pengin camel het neve ome round inthe Comment] tthe aveviaon "a" To lone felreneen on tee page of Crary Ralntow more qlckly, help o know het ineropeed pages the Viking Penguin eons pnealy hve fate ine ext nthe Bt tam forty In these noes, ne ber lero 0 acta line of Ideally one woul refer to ave an anotte ton ofthe novel. One night ha lnk down athe bottom of he ext fhe dy, where ooo trilerlain ll athe arto rea VD 26-27, One solton a bly to put the Companion under, or slong, tbe aol, and fallow an fnterroptd reading with more dent second turn. Another ton 610 ‘end an pao, then he annotations he st wa, ny eas oe ‘lly spponiats tener poste of reading nde the render ‘Som begin tracking bck od ferth inthe native amet encoraged by to te cron rlerening ad the index. fo ply, these employ Viking Penguin mbes od. Bu hi ones no poem fr Banta ea. tie For intne, the dncusion of Mi, PointatnansoKyprings Ont” ‘Shute [ot V5.6) eng ot te oreo ht dea inn Ter Lindon aivetement bat links ito boalyincinked mouisof| Kyprian Venus, Tanaka, end seductive white godesses of desth—at Inter moment ike Vb 17 nad V65040, Viking! Penguin an Banta ed es like can pt the note for VBB.7,BIOL2- 1021 and eck ough the equce ‘ne fy es in presenting thee noe ita scolny wes can be striendy l Graviy's Rainbow stn motion “te Nights Ma Cat ‘a VI3h. 35 ferent! enrernmenty, then these annotations se ‘ceed if they get more readers aboard more of the tides, Ter ceri tostoris sewn asin el ng, Ald os brant “Zanes tesa sepal ten et Hod theta edd ierarchy of ases hasten lel cube t oe, Sond are caught up i the met acc change Yet heading Inu begs wth he aod se eompeny of hat tak paren Tsing ey thn fre! care scot ing weer nage hog Rais wag German teste urators cree te echnical aces ‘mre, he poetyo Rainer Maa Rilke, aed Teton rhelon! 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