For readers who do not get Pynchon’s references to the The I Ching, to Tarot, to mythology, films, comic books, operas, novels, scientific concepts and historic events at the end of World War Two, Weisenburger has put together this book that supplies information about IG Farben, King Kong, Hop Harrigan, Malcolm X and the V-2 rocket. In addition, Weisenburger discusses the structure of the novel in his introduction, and supplies a short plot summary of each of the sections in the book.

A not half bad guide to Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Though, be forewarned that this guide just makes the book slightly less impenetrable. Without a history degree (with the associated specialties), and perhaps a minimum 160 IQ, and even a fairly high mathematical acumen, all I can say is, Go with God. Just to be clear, I have none of the above qualifications, which probably explains my frustrations. While it’s always a good idea to try and stretch oneself from time to time, probably a more gradual mental conditioning regimen for me was in order.

I never fully settled on my companion method.. when the reading was going well, I’d do 3-4 episodes in GR before switching to the companion. Then when the Gretel episodes spring up I’d be reading the companion ahead of GR..

regardless of how you sequence and refer to the companion the episode summaries in here are awesome

Just as a good companion is for Joyce's Ulysses, so too is this essential to wade through Pynchon's behemoth.

Little else to add that others haven’t, suffice to say that you would be ill advised to tackle the tome that is Gravity’s Rainbow without it.

Helpful in some aspects… but didn’t feel it was much of a guide and sometimes felt more like a GR encyclopedia

This book is indispensable if you are attempting to tackle Gravity’s Rainbow. The attention to detail in here is really impressive and so much of it brought immense depth to my reading of Pynchon. There’s truly an astounding amount of detail in Gravity’s Rainbow, and without a reference guide like this at your side, it just isn’t possible to catch all of it—the references are far too varied and esoteric for anyone short of the Jeopardy champion of the world, and even then, I find it hard to believe you would even Realize that there are things being referenced half of the time. I would go as far as to say that if you read Gravity’s Rainbow without this companion (or one comparable to it), you’re missing out on experiencing what Gravity’s Rainbow is fully capable of: that is, something truly extraordinary.

YOU NEED THIS.

Great help along the bumpy ride of reading GR.

What I do is read each Episode synopsis before reading each episode in GR, then refer to Weisenberger's notes as I go. Helps a ton to just get questions of who/what/where out of the way so I can enjoy what Pynchon's actually writing in a more immediate, less lost way. Even now, on my 3rd read of GR, this is not a book I'd want to be without, despite its own litany of mistakes and overstrainings....Heck, there's a Pynchon wiki for getting at those.

Getting serious about GR means getting a book like this. GR isn't for the weak (or unmotivated)!

Decades ago while studying for a
doctorate degree at the University of Kentucky, I had the pleasure of Steven's company and friendship. He is truly a scholar and a gentleman.