Mason & Dixon

Mason & Dixon is a Christmas story… Snow-Balls have flown their Arcs, starred the Sides of Outbuildings, as of Cousins, carried Hats away into the brisk Wind off Delaware,— the Sleds are brought in and their Runners carefully dried and greased, shoes deposited in the back Hall, a stockinged-foot Desc......more

Easily one of the best books I've ever read. Pynchon's blending together of fact, fiction and fantasy is utterly exquisite, and the characters he has created are unforgettable. It's an absolute beast of a book, but every page was pure magic.......more

It's constantly awe-inspiring how much mental vitality and agility Pynchon has at his command. Awesome also how extensive and detailed is his research. His immersion in his subject is all-consuming and watertight. It tells the story, in picaresque form, of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, the Briti......more

All Due Regard to Length Let's get the length of "Mason & Dixon" out of the way first. Lauding fiction on the basis of its maximalism alone might gratify those who derive satisfaction from this one feature of big fat books, but it inevitably deters readers who might enjoy the (other) merits of the boo......more

This was my favorite Pynchon novel. I know most folks will say that Gravity's Rainbow or the more accessible The Crying of Lot 49 were his great works, but I felt that M&D just was such a beautiful story. The coming together of these two most opposite personalities and their adventures across the na......more