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by: Thomas Pynchon  List Price: $14.99 Amazon.com's Price: $10.19 You Save: $4.80 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9780316724432 ISBN: 0316724432 Label: Back Bay Books Manufacturer: Back Bay Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 208 Publication Date: April 30, 1985 Publisher: Back Bay Books Studio: Back Bay Books Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Product Description: "Slow Learner" is a compilation of early stories written between 1959 and 1964, before Pynchon achieved recognition as a prominent writer for his 1963 novel, "V" and containing a revelatory essay on his early influences and writing. The collection consists of five short stories: "The Small Rain", "Lowlands", "Entropy", "Under the Rose", and "The Secret Integration", as well as an introduction written by Pynchon himself for the 1984 publication. The five stories were originally published individually in various literary magazines but in 1984, after Pynchon had achieved greater recognition, "Slow Learner" was published to collect and copyright the stories into one volume. The introduction also offers a rare insight into Pynchon's own views on his work and influences. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - A second-best starting point when it comes to PynchonThis is an interesting collection of early stories, but my bet is that those who will enjoy the book most are those people who have already bought into the Pynchon mystique. I'm one of them, to be sure, so I must confess I have enjoyed it. Some of Pynchon's talents are already here on display, but what I miss the most is the irrepressible excess and the dizzying rhythm that characterizes his later prose. Some of the stories seem to flitter and fade, caught up in curiosities that are soon cast away. ... Read More Rating:  - A Pynch of early PynchonI agree with other reviewers that the fun of this book lies in Pynchon's thoughts of these early efforts. It made the reading of them much more enjoyable. It also made them seem better then they really were, since I realized they were not to be judged in the same light as his later works. So, the fifth star was for his honesty. This is a recommended read for any reader interested in the entire works of Pynchon. Rating: - "When are we getting a color TV, Dad?" Well I am pleased that I finished another Pynchon work. Having read V., The Crying of Lot 49, and now Slow Learner-I have avoided the gigantic Gravity's Rainbow, which comes after 49 in order, mostly out of intimidation... Slow Learner seems to have been produced out of a public interest in Pynchon, perhaps out of the void of 10 years since Rainbow, as something to give us all, ever awed by his labrinthine worlds and layered stories. Though made up of five stories written from 1959-1964, ... Read More Rating: - Pleasing, and Unlike PynchonI've read The Crying of Lot 49, as well as material about Pynchon, so expected a tough read, but found this collection of short stories surprisingly light, although the final story was excellent, thoughtful, and moving. As for the introduction, mentioned by someone as the worth of this book, he is nearly right, as it was an absolute pleasure to read, both light and witty; it wa so good that at times I simultaneously laughed and cried. Rating: - leave the stories, read the introductionpynchon's introduction to these stories is truly top-notch. he talks about being an author, what it is like to mature, and what it is to look back at work that one is soo very far removed from. this all makes for an excellnt read. the stories themselves are, for the most part, forgettable. if you do find yourself with a craving to read one of them, the last one is nearly a fine bit of work, but then, instead of sticking to his guns, pynchon spells out a fact that's already been made clear by character ... Read More 
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