The Little Things- Gravity’s Rainbow
by apurohit ~ October 14th, 2010. Filed under: Uncategorized.Hmm. This has to be one of the strangest novels I’ve ever read. Or rather, attempted to read. Most of the time, I ended up re-reading to make sure I didn’t miss the point of the sentence and it turns out many times, there is no point. However, one thing I must admit it is how much Pynchon’s writing style makes me laugh. It’s extremely genuine and witty, two things I personally appreciate.
I don’t know if anyone else agrees, but there is one particular part in the novel that seemed very real and at the same time hilarious. At the point in the book where he mentions seeing the attractive “Nurse Darlene.” The way he describes her is very different from the way a normal, or shall I say, typical writer would describe. For instance, he instantly compares her not to a flower, moon, or star….but a tomato. Now to me, that was a rather unique way of describing a beautiful woman. However, I liked the route he took in describing her, as it gave the reader a fresh way to picture the woman. When I read, “…an adorable tomato in a nurse uniform,” the first words that came to mind were fresh, soft, and pure. Unlike the usual, “bright as a star” or even “hot as the sun.” Referring to a woman as a fruit came across as extremely sweet and innocent to me for some reason. As silly a line as this is, it really stuck out to me for some reason. I guess its because there was a certain sincerity in his writing, which helped me relate to the book in some way. I noticed his writing style throughout the novel, so even after all the confusion and random detailing, the book surprisingly appeals to me in a way.
Even the way he first introduced her name is so realistic. “…and her name’s, uh, well, oh- Darlene. Golly, it’s Darlene.” Am I the only one who can totally imagine a guy reacting in such a nervous way after admiring a beautiful woman? Ultimately, it’s little moments like these in a novel that really stick out to me, as I always appreciate a realistic portrayal over one that (though poetic) is cliche.
I’m not nearly close to finishing it, but I’m looking forward to (hopefully) understanding this book at some point, without wishing there was spark note for each line.
October 16th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Hah, a tomato, I didn’t think about that but it really is a peculiar and cute way of describing a woman. I definitely think fresh, also ripe, plump, maybe even vivacious.
October 26th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I can relate to what you’re saying about Pynchon’s writing. In a way, it’s comedic and witty, but at the same time, it’s the kind of comedic style of writing that you can imagine Pynchon saying in his head, and directly transferring to a peice of paper. It takes the reader a little while, and maybe several rereads to understand, then finally comes a little chuckle.
I too, thought the tomato comparison was amusing. Writers tend to be more mature and typically analytical. Comparing a beautiful woman to a tomato is not a very quintessential example of “mature writing” but it is, in a way, very honest and pure. Comparing a woman to a tomato is more of something a child would say, like “Hey mom, that lady looks like a tomato!” A child would not say “Hey mom, that woman is as hot as the sun” or “as delicate as a flower.” How ridiculous. But that is what makes children so pure and unique. Pynchon’s writing is similiar to that, in this sense.