Pynchon editions general

Here we can rant about different editions, quality of paper and print, revised texts by the author, etc.

Today I wanted to discuss these maligned Vintage editions. I know, the covers are not 'serious' at all. More like a joke or a children's book, with that 'Where's Waldo' look. But, even if I don't find it particularly pleasant, I think it fits Pynchon's mood and intentions as an author, to some extent. Anyway, it's not that terrible.
I wanted to comment on the quality of my copy of Vineland that hast just arrived on the mail a few hours ago. It's really not bad at all. I read somewhere that the print is 'smudged' (whatever that means) but I get none of that. It supposedly varies from copy to copy. Mine is pretty nice. The covers are not poor quality, they feel rather sturdy for a paperback. The pages feel decent quality too. I'll share a few pics I took for those interested in these editions. I certainly will be buying V. now from this edition (I read it digitally like 6 years ago and could use a re-read) since the price point is absurdly cheap. They're like half the price as other editions. What's not to like?

> inb4 hideous covers
get over yourself

Other urls found in this thread:

pynchon.net/articles/10.7766/orbit.v1.1.33/
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

I don't think I've ever seen one of those in a bookstore. They only seem to carry penguins, picadors, and occasionally Harper perennials as far as Pynchon goes. Are these vintage editions more of a British thing?

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Last one. Another with detail on the print

I bought it from Book Depository and it's literally half the price than other editions in that same website.
I admit that the print is not super high definition, when compared with better quality books, but, at least in this case, not nearly blurry or smudged. It's definitely not a problem.
For me, in conclusion: with that price tag, if you cna live with that cover artwork, go for them!

never read pynchon

can i start with The Crying of Lot 49?

I already own other editions of all of them and have read everything except Against the Day. It was just the distribution that I was curious about.

as good a place as any

It's his shittiest and also quite underwhelming

inherent vice

if you're pleb

the Vintage covers aren't the worst, better than the cover for Inherent Vice IMHO. still prefer this one for Vineland though.

>I know, the covers are not 'serious' at all. More like a joke or a children's book, with that 'Where's Waldo' look.

It fits tb(q)h

the one i read had evergreen treetops or something and was gray or blue? id take that human confetti cover over it, and over this one with an offensive quote

If you can handle long books I'd recommend AtD.

If you're pressed for time you can just read Entropy and The Secret Integration from Slow Learner and probably floating around the internet. From there you should be able to do GR with no issue.

inherent vice

>Author name bigger than everything else
>blurb right in the middle
nah son.

Thoughts on this one? It's from a London press. Plus it's hardcover

Nice

All of the Pynchon books I have are by this publisher. I recently saw the Vintage Classic edition of GR in a bookstore and really contemplated re-buying it for a few minutes before deciding otherwise. As ugly as they are I've never experienced any of the actual problems associated with them which are often brought up here. Lucky, I guess.

bought this "deluxe" edition before realizing the pages were purposefully fucked up

It's deckling, chump.

>better than the cover for Inherent Vice IMHO
But it has a spooky skeleton on a surfboard

me want

This is the greatest fucking thing.

are you stupid? lmao

i'm probably the only one but i extremely do not dig this style

no reason to fuck up a perfectly good book for aesthetics.

I feel you. It doesnt look awful but I prefer pretty much any other cover. Probably tied with Waldo for me.

I'd like to fucking have this, goddamn amazing. It's the pulpiness of it mixed with the fact that it's a complex 700-page long book that's a postmodern classic, the contrast of it. People would just think I was reading cheap erotica/science-fiction (which it, in parts, comically resembles), beautiful.

IDK, maybe I'm just embarrassing myself but I like this cover.

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What the fuck? I want Thomas PYNCHON, not TOMAC fucking ПИHЧOH. Dropped.

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reminds me of ghost world

fuck anyone know where I can get like a poster of these?

but it makes it easier to flip the pages and less easy to get paper cuts.

No, this one

Why do Japanese translations of books have the best covers ?

The entire style of the book is juxtaposing low culture with complex ideas and structures. That cover doesn't do it justice though, not zany enough. I have this one

I like the blueprint cover

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Yeah, this's pretty good too.

I don't find them as ugly as most people do, but at least you have options. With V you're probably stuck with them.
Pic related is harped and collins and it's a bad edition, making where's waldo the only true option for people that have to buy from book depository.

Reason: pynchon.net/articles/10.7766/orbit.v1.1.33/

First edition hardcovers only

o fuck is it really that bad?

I don't remember and I read the article some time ago. I think it wasn't that bad, but not the best option nonetheless.

I hate that cover so fucking much. I think I'm gonna buy the movie edition just to not look at this sad monstrocity.

from the article it seems like it's a difference of about half a dozen lines here and there where Pynchon was being really perfectionist.

What exactly is wrong with it?

It does, you're right. But I just can't bring myself to buy it.

So did they correct the Frank Miller GR? I really like that cover.

I don't like the cover, it's all grey and kind of hard to look at, it fucks with my eyes.

Yeah they corrected it.

Should i read translation? Is pynchon readable in english only?

>Should i read translation?
no

If you don't have a choice, I'd say go forma it. Pynchon translated is better than no Pynchon at all I guess. Just avoid Mason & Dixon