So I picked up this book because I've never read Pynchon and everyone says he's the greatest. I'm torn between starting with this book because the meaning of the title didn't dawn on me until I started it. Slow Learner (Early Stories).

The essay at the beginning of the book was probably the best part about it. He describes the struggles of what it means to be a writer and what it meant to be a writer in the wake of the beats.

You can see glimpses of greatness inbetween poor form and pretension (which he owns up to in the essay) and it makes me hopeful for my own writing. Then the last story "The Secret Integration" is a much clearer story, both in theme and verse.

I liked all the stories (except "Under the Rose". I'll read Ludlum if I want a standard spy story) and I recommend it, if only to see the progression of an artist.

En verdad es un lento aprendizaje la escritura de estos cuentos y también su lectura.

El prólogo es un maravilla. El autor recorre cada uno de sus relatos y los años de formación y escritura de cada uno. Lo cual es también un recorrido culturales los Estados Unidos después de la segunda mitad del siglo. Pynchon es generoso y destruye con bastante acierto sus cuentos y las fallas de los narradores.

Creo que la estructura de los relatos es el de un crescendo de maestría y uso de los artificios.

El primero está bueno pero podría ser un cuento de Hemingway.

El segundo es medio aburrido pero tiene una linda estructura y una fuga a lo Pynchon.

El tercero, Entropía, hace ese uso de transpolar una idea técnica a la narración. Yo no tenía idea de que es era la entropia... ahora se que no es solo la tendencia al caos. Se despliega en todas las estructuras del relato.

“Aplicado a un sistema dinámico, la entropía es la medida que explica por qué, si ponemos un objeto caliente junto a uno frío, el frío se calienta y el caliente se enfría”.

El cuarto es caótico. No se entiende nada a propósito pero la construcción general del relato y la trama son seductoras. El artificio, sub rosa, también. Acá ya está como el germen de Pynchon (personajes simples en entramados más grandes que la realidad o algo así). Yo leí La subasta hace mucho y me costó horrores. De estos cuentos entendí mucho más. Igual siento que el autor necesita espacio para echar esas raíces que tanto le gustan a la gente. En algún momento me lanzaré un ladrillo a la cara.

El último la integración secreta fue el mejor. Es como un relato de King de esos de verano pero con una vuelta de tuerca y una situación con un alcoholico a lo Carver. Muy bueno.

Me cansé de contar de qué se tratan.

Came mostly for the introduction ~
Don't disrespect Oedipa like that, Tom. Jesus.

Review #7 of "Year of the Review All Read Books"

The following is a recently recovered collection of notes and feedback given to Thomas Ruggles Pynchon from his writing workshop classmate [redacted] at Cornell University. In the case of "The Secret Integration" the story was completed after his undergraduate years and the response is actually mailed ~1962-1963.

The Small Rain
I was liking the Hemingway tone of it until you ruined it with the self-referential dig at him. Also felt like the characters were more interesting to you than they were to the reader. Good names though, Lardass, Picnic.

The action didn't really seem intense though, huh? I guess the climactic point of the story seemed to be the one paragraph about the death detail. I get the mechanic efficiency and the dehumanization therein (points for casual vomiting on the job though) but aside from that it was like a diary of some army guys looking for ways to kill time. I was pretty bored man, sorry.

Low-lands
I'm not so crazy about a story in which the characters tell a bunch of stories. But you did backdrop it against some interesting elements. Junkyard and secret societies are brilliant, but they feel more novel (yes, pun intended, puns are always intended). I don't know if you have any plans to make this a novel, but I feel like I've seen the name Pig Bodine in one of your earlier pieces?

Entropy
"Tell a girl 'I love you.' No ruble with two-thirds of that, it's a closed circuit. Just you and she. But that nasty four-letter word in the middle, that's the one you have to look out for" OMG so relevant!!

I still feel like you're not quite getting to the "plotness" of a good story y'know? What about all those great spy thrillers you've been recommending me? Those have tons of actions and consequences. To be honest it's really obvious that you enjoy a good metaphor (had to look up what entropy was, this is grade-a stuff here). I'm not saying you can't have plotless stories. Hell, look at Joyce. But I don't know if you've really *earned* this quite yet. Also, I have no idea who the main character is. I think you want it to be Callisto?

PS: Just a fun creative idea. What if, to expand on the Entropy theme, you eventually have people talking in different languages by the end of the party? Just a thought.

Under the Rose
Hell yeah, now we're getting somewhere. Plot. Chase scenes. Consequences. It's a little occluded and I don't know that I buy the whole "broke the gentlemanly code among spies" or whatever.

A spy depending on intuition is interesting, but not necessarily, idk, believable? Also I don't think they had wires and machines looking like humans back then Tom

PS: Totally relate to Goodfellow and Wren. I mean, happens to me all the time, but I hear there are these pills you know…

The Secret Integration
There's so much good stuff here Tom. The best is that it's a gang of kids and almost dressed up like a kids adventure but you're tackling serious themes of race drawing really cool parallels with underground societies and reactionaries. Plus you get really deep and emotional especially with McAfree. It's a maturity I haven't seen in you before. In the past I feel like you've depended on men who are (literally) too mechanical but even your deployment of the young kid in AA ends up simultaneously absurd and beautiful.

Now, the ending was a little goofy. Where you come and tell us straight out who exactly Carl was (or wasn't). It's like showing you how the magic trick is done after you've just performed it. I kind of want to believe in the magic still.

"The Secret Integration" is a really moving story. While the other ones are sort of good if you want to see Pynchon's development as a writer. I couldn't get through "Under the Rose" after trying a good couple times for some reason--maybe it had to do with how faraway and muted everything read or maybe a fault on the reader's (my) part? Anyway, the introduction is good (it's nice to have Pynchon speaking to us directly), and the last story is a must-read.

A small collection of early Pynchon stories. I didn't care for the intro of Pynchon insulting his early works and on a re-read after reading the stories, i didn't and his reviews insulting. He filled in the pages and gave some nostalgic and emotional feedback on his early stories. He should have taken this to the level of say Stephen King on Writing and shown earliest draft to final draft would've truly helped an inspiring writer instead of just a post critique. I found some of the stories to be enjoyable, my favorites were Entropy - a '57 lease breaking party with government and military folks, stranded partiers for days and Low Lands an eclectic group of aging WW1 buddies.

Раджу спочатку почитати тексти, потім післямову, а потім авторську передмову. І взагалі все треба совати в кінець - треба дві-три післямови, най буде.

Сподобалось оповідання «Таємниче інтегрування», воно найбільш «людське». З деякими персонажами інших сподіваюсь зустрітись в наступних книгах. Ну і звичайно, маг-чарівник Макс Нестелєєв докладно розповів що це все було.

If there was one thing I gained from reading Slow Learner is that Thomas Pynchon’s unique writing style was the result of trial and error. These five stories document how Pynchon slowly became the literary powerhouse he is known as today. Usually when there are short stories, I try to avoid describing them individually but since there are only five of them plus an introduction, I’ll break my rule.

The introduction by Pynchon himself is worth the price of the book alone, I make it a point to seek out books with his forewords (so far it’s Jim Dodge’s The Stone Junction and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, I still have to find his Richard Farina one) and this is no exception. For someone who is known not to divulge anything about himself, we readers are getting 21 pages about his writing life : the mistakes he regrets in his early work, the circumstances leading to the stories being written, some anecdotes and his writing techniques (which are quite surprising). Funny, warm and charming, it’s everything a Pynchon afficionado would want.

The first story, The Small Rain is about a lazy soldier who has a change of heart when he is placed in the middle of a site where people have perished. Thematically there’s a lot of Pynchonian themes : the futility of war and the inevitability of death. Stylistically this story could have been written by anyone with a strong grasp of the English language and a knack for conventional plot structure. It’s very good but that’s it. Pynchon’s work has a way of transcending itself. That doesn’t happen here.

Next up is Low-lands. This is displays Pynchon’s weirder side but it feels restrained. A man with undesirable friends is kicked out of his house by his wife and goes to a garbage dump, where he is seduced by a little person and has to make a life changing decision. It’s not as zany as v or Gravity’s Rainbow but it is funny and delightfully strange. I was reminded of George Saunder’s early short stories. It is worth noting that Pig Bodine makes his first appearance.

Entropy (the state of chaos and is also the measure of thermal energy) is a turning point. It’s written in the Pynchonian style which is well known and contains themes which are later explored in his novels. Entropy details a three day party which includes discussions about science and physics interspersed with insane goings-on. Cleverly Pynchon incorporates both definitions of the story’s title. A definite stand out.

The story Under the Rose is a complete dog pile. It’s an attempt to create an intellectual spy caper, which serves a commentary on future generations of people but it fails. Think of a long dirge. Strangely enough I don’t mind it when Pynchon will devote ten pages to atmospheric writing but here it just doesn’t work.

The concluding piece, The Secret Integration is a work of genius. It was written on year after V was published and it displays all of Pynchon’s strengths as a writer. In essence this is a story about racism as seen through a gang of children but it’s strange, controversial ( I guess problematic), prescient, non linear and beautifully written. The Secret integration was a pure pleasure to read and can be another reason to own this collection. The story also features Hogan Slothrop, the brother Tyrone reminisces about in Gravity’s Rainbow.

For a Pynchon fan Slow Learner is essential as it displays Pynchon’s slow steps to becoming a writer but it also helps fans understand where his ideas come from. For the casual Pynchon fan, I wouldn’t say it’s a must read but I do think that the introduction and last story should be read by anyone, even with a passing interest in this notoriously hermetic author.

A collection of 5 short stories from the late 50's early 60's. While they are early Pynchon where Pynchon was still finding his voice, they are all really enjoyable, especially the last two stories. The first 3, again while they are enjoyable do seem a little bit forced or rushed. The 4th story "under the rose" a weird spy thriller is more alive character wise and plot wise and has a hard connection to his first novel "V" which is cool. The last story "The Secret Integration" is even better, more mature, well written, funny and sad at the same time and lots to think about.

Five early stories and a confessional but invaluable introductory essay by the Bard of Oyster Bay.

Book Review: Slow Learner is a necessary book for anyone who wants to know Thomas Pynchon. If you've read at least two of his novels and have any extant interest, you should read this as well. For die-hard fans the fun will be in searching out characters, events, scenes, and themes that reappeared in later works. For casual Pynchon readers seeing the author's maturation as a writer will be food for thought. Already he was uniquely incorporating science into his fiction. My suggestion is to read the Introduction to Slow Learner after reading the stories. It will make ever so much more sense and will save re-reading. This will be difficult for acolytes who tend to salivate after any scrap of information they can obtain about the maestro. In the Introduction, Pynchon not only enthusiastically deprecates his early works, but also provides useful advice for beginning writers. Through his humility, Pynchon is trying to lower expectations, to discourage reading too much into work from his 20's when he was experimenting with and exploring his craft, and perhaps to assuage his own wincing and cringing when looking back. Else why release them at all? For another bit of insight into his world fans should seek out Pynchon's Introduction to the Penguin edition of his friend Richard Fariña's only novel, Been Down So Long it Looks Like Up to Me (1966). Since there are only five stories here and this is one of the notable writers of our time, each deserves its own bit, along with year of publication.

"The Small Rain" (1959) - The simplest story here (published when Pynchon was 22), but still touching and effective. Here Pynchon aims at a big statement, but subtly and in an offhand manner befitting an enlisted man. A soldier story in the vein of Norman Mailer (The Naked and the Dead (1948)), or more distantly, Ernest Hemingway (who comes in for a mention). His first published story and the most conventional. [3★]

"Low-lands" (1960) - Pynchon writing an allegory, a fairy tale for a modern and cynical age. Written well before the similarly titled but unrelated song by Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan (and friend of Richard Fariña), "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" (1966). [3★]

"Entropy" (1960) - The convoluted plot of the story encapsulates the concept of the title, down to the stilling of a heartbeat. Rather than a story consisting of symbols, here the story is the symbol. Very Pynchonesque, and reminiscent (especially the dialog) of the aforementioned Richard Fariña novel. [4★]

"Under the Rose" (1961) - Reads like an outtake of V. (which it is, apparently - see Chapter Three), and includes characters from that novel. Rich, Baroque, complex, historical. I can't say that reading this story will provide the key to understanding any facet of that book. It actually doesn't seem like a short story at all. [3★]

"The Secret Integration" (1964) - Published a year after V. and two years before The Crying of Lot 49. Pynchon had decided that he knew how to write a short story. Along with "The Small Rain," the least Pynchon-like story in the bunch (though he can't help but flash moments of shtick), and the most conventional (was published in The Saturday Evening Post, after all). This is Pynchon making social commentary and exploring the idea that children may be wiser than adults. [4★]

Slow Learner is an excellent place to begin reading Pynchon, following along in fits and starts as he finds his way. Also recommended are the more often suggested The Crying of Lot 49 and his first novel V., for those chronologically inclined. In these early stories we discover that Pynchon had already digested several encyclopedias, lived several lifetimes, and had mastered the art of looking at everything the way no one else does. Given his cybernetic store of knowledge, he makes disturbing and surprising connections. The writing is bizarre, but beautiful. [3★]

A fun read for Pynchon fans. I really liked the introduction, where Pynchon reflects on the essays presented and himself as an early writer, as it provides a seemingly rare glimpse into his non-writer side.

After reading Gravity’s Rainbow last year I decided to take this year off from reading any Pynchon, and I almost did it. Back last summer I found this copy of Slow Learner. Now at the midway point through Pynchon’s bibliography I decided this would be a good next pick before tackling the back half.

This collection of short stories covers the early years of Pynchon’s writing career with stories from 1959 to 1964. This collection was initially published in the mid 1980’s and it's always been my understanding that this collection is more so something to tie over Pynchon fans in the drought between Gravity’s Rainbow and Vineland. Something for the die hards to get a closer look at the master’s methods. Those assumptions are pretty much correct but that’s not to say I didn’t find parts of this collection quite enjoyable.

While not an amazing collection overall, there are elements that are worth checking this out for. First is the introduction done by Pynchon himself, where he admits that these aren't very good stories but it does offer a good reflection on his time in college and directly after writing these. It’s always interesting to read these kinds of introductions, considering he so rarely offers his thoughts to the public outside of his work.

Most of these stories really are just Pynchon working out ideas that would go on to be better utilized in later works, particularly in his first novel V. I would recommend reading this book directly after reading V as there are many similarities here. The stories of goofy 1950s navy men, particularly an early appearance of the character Pig Bodine, were fun to revisit especially after having just watched the Paul Thomas Anderson film The Master a few months back for the first time.

Other early hints are the story Under The Rose, which is essentially a first draft of a chapter in V that would end up being done a lot better in its final iteration. The story Entropy is probably closest to the Pynchon style we come to know. This story has a reputation that precedes it for this reason. While reading it I did enjoy it but I think this reputation overhyped it for me as it is rather short and pretty minimal compared to what Pynchon accomplishes later on.

Overall these stories are not much like Pynchon’s style as we come to know it in later novels. These stories are a lot easier to read and quicker paced. While I didn’t find any to be terrible, most of them are pretty forgettable. I enjoyed the final story, The Secret Integration, best. It is the longest story and offers a really interesting side of Pynchon that I hadn’t read from before. Writing from the perspective of children and their secret organization fascinated by the world of adults, he explores themes of race that were most prevalent around the 1964 Civil Rights Act, while still offering a level of fun and excitement.

I agree with the sentiment that this collection is solely for the Pynchon die hards. I enjoyed it for what it was but in comparison with any of his actual novels that I’ve read this leaves a lot to be desired.