Against the Day
by Thomas Pynchon · first published 2006
82% recommend18% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A well-researched historical novel spanning the 1893 Chicago World's Fair to after WWI, using math like quaternions and vectors for literary ends. More approachable than Gravity's Rainbow, for committed readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…book is the brothers karamazov. An excellent book with a deeply human and philosophical viewpoint. This is the last bool I read from dostojewski and after crime and punishment his best work. Atm I read „against the day“ from pynchon. Also very excellent and compared to gravitys rainbow sooo easy to read. That could be a good start to the pynchon universe for beginners. Whish you all a good time at the end of the yeat
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗Pynchon writes two distinct types of novels. V., Gravity's Rainbow, Mason & Dixon, and Against the Day are is big (literally) complexly plotted novels that frequently involve hundreds of characters and huge forces of history. They are my favorites, but they require serious commitment and even then can…
on “From Thomas Pynchon, a novel of the dot-com era and the end of history” ↗Seconded. I am surprised that there are not more of Pynchon's books in this thread. 'Vineland' is an easy, humorous read. If you want to take Pynchon head on, I can't recommend 'Against the day' too much.
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗A little off topic, but Iceland Spar features prominently in Pynchon's "Against the Day"[1]. It is a pretty amazing book that might appeal to this audience. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Against_the_Day#Doubling
on “'Viking sunstone' found in shipwreck?” ↗Some authors and a rec or two for each. DFW - Infinite Jest Pynchon - Really anything, but in particular Against the Day, V, and Gravity's Rainbow. Rushdie - Shame and Satanic Verses, a lot of good other ones. Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon Gaddis - JR, hence my name. Heller - Catch-22
on “Ask HN: What are some good books?” ↗In my search for more works like the Baroque Cycle, I was led to Thomas Pynchon, who's writing far surpass that of Stephenson (in my opinion). In particular, Against the Day, Gravity's Rainbow, and Mason & Dixon. They are all historical fiction of sorts, with long detailed excursions into well researched nooks and crannies of history. Pynchon's writing is sublime once you…
on “We are all nerds: The literary works of Neal Stephenson” ↗I'd recommend Against the Day, then if you enjoy that, try Gravity's Rainbow again. It continues some of the timeline of Against the Day. GR is super tough for the first third but gets easier and more enjoyable.
on “Neal Stephenson was prescient about our AI age” ↗I'm not aware of any, but maybe somebody else is. A more general question is are there any other DFW-ish math-ish writings to be found? Against The Day (Pynchon) is not really math-ish, but it does have a good bit of math (more than GR at least), and a DFW fan would probably like it. Stella Maris (McCarthy) is perhaps neither DFW-ish nor math-ish, but…
on “Infinite Proofs: The Effects of Mathematics on David Foster Wallace (2012)” ↗I never noticed it until I read Pynchon's Against the Day, I assume I just ignored quaternion posts before then. Great book, enjoyed the way he used quaternions and vectors towards literary ends. Edit: just noticed we also have a thread on bifurcation, another…
on “Rediscovering Quaternions” ↗Anyone interested in a fictional take on this period could consider Pynchon's "Against the Day", although it is no light challenge. It takes place between the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the years following WW1 and, appropriately, tells a sprawling, disorienting story that feels overwhelming…
on “1910: The year the modern world lost its mind” ↗Thomas Pynchon's Against the Day is an interesting read on this and explores the rapid changes in a far more human way than anything else I have read on the period. He renders it as the period when technology and knowledge ceased being…
on “1910: The year the modern world lost its mind” ↗There are basically two sorts of Pynchon novels[1]: Gravity’s Rainbow, V and Against the Day are these monumental books which are sometimes really harrowing and hard to read (amazing in my opinion, but tough to read none the less). Lot 49, Inherent Vice, Vineland and the new one are kind of…
on “If the Gumshoe Fits: The Thomas Pynchon Experience” ↗…the chapter pertaining to African-Americans are incredibly dated. Having said that, check out the illustrated "Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow." Against the Day is life changing.
on “If the Gumshoe Fits: The Thomas Pynchon Experience” ↗Just as an aside, love your username. Against The Day is my favorite Pynchon.
on “Axon wants to make taser drones for schools despite ethics board’s concerns” ↗…don't count my rereading, but for good books, once is never enough. When I got the the end of "Satanic Verses" for the first time, I was so taken, I started it again the very next day. Similar with "Against the Day". If I had to guess, the most rereads I've done is ~20-30 rereads of "Cats Cradle". Part of the reason for that is it is such an easy read, and I can usually finish it in a day or two. Its also a great…
on “Why reading a book 100 times is a great idea” ↗