Pynchon frequently employs references from pop culture, science and history with which the general reader may not be familiar. In this book Grant supplies background on such things like Maxwell's Demon, Mikhail Bakunin, and Porky Pig cartoons. There is a particularly good detailed discussion on how the concept of entropy in both thermodynamics and communications theory functions with regard to the dominant themes in Pynchon's narrative.

Acquired 1997
Barnes and Noble, Rochester NY

oct/nov 2002, i don't think i actually read this one (oops)

Check out the Pynchon centered podcast I cohost, Mapping the Zone. We just finished Lot 49 and are moving on to Mason & Dixon next.

Found this book to mostly be pretty damn relevant when discussing Lot 49. Some of the entries weren’t amazing and I do wish there was more stuff defined, kinda like how the Pynchon wiki operates, but whatever. This definitely helped expand my reading of the novel.

Surely it's the Freudian interpretations that come closest to emulating the master's own parodies? Say, Couturier, quoted here: '...that Pierce, feeling himself diminished by Oedipa's inaccessibility, may have sought revenge "by burdening her with an ego-destructive task"'. Or Plater: '...the feminization of Oedipus [into 'Oedipa] is intended to "suggest the hermaphroditic unity of opposites..."'.

I feel everyone needs to know: this guide provides possible interpretations of the name "Mucho" Maas without once noting that "mucho más" means "much more" in Spanish. This is a gross oversight that really gets my goat, because I identified totally with Mucho on my first reading.

3 stars. It's fun to see someone else's obsessive thought process put down on paper. If you are looking for an extremely close read of Lot 49 to jumpstart discussion, this'll work.

Useful for tracking some of the allusions but Pynchonian in its collation of theorists each with their own bizarre takes and po-faced commitment to missing the forest for the bugs in the bark.

A very helpful guide.

The best of the Pynchon Companions (next to the Gravity’s Rainbow one). Both are equally compelling reading for readers familiar with the novel already—explaining allusions, obscure jokes, and integrating snippets of critical readings that help a reader puzzle out the complexities and ambiguities (or often, relevant here, just appreciate and learn to live with them). I’ve taught this novel several times and read it countless, honestly—Lot 49 is my Desert Island read if I could only have one.

Having read Lot 49 multiple times, it was interesting to read it again alongside the Companion. Some interesting information and interpretations. However the stuff on John Nefastis, Maxwell's demon, entropy, thermodynamics and information theory was utter nonsense

My 20th century novel professor at St. Lawrence wrote this book. His son dated meatloaf's daughter and you used to pronounce "lieutenant" like "lufftenant."

Extraordinarily useful, but entropy is still confusing. Maybe the reader is Maxwell's Demon?

Probably would not have enjoyed this as much if I hadn't experienced living in SoCal. Nice gateway Pynchon.