Mason & Dixon Companion (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780820365848)

Mason & Dixon might be Thomas Pynchon's most human book. Its main characters are richly drawn, and they center the narrative. Yet the novel is also packed with historical allusions and an eighteenth-century vernacular that some readers may find difficult to navigate. A "Mason & Dixon" Companion offers this navigation line by line, unpacking Pynchon's puns, his many references, and his pet themes. Brett Biebel provides a contextual map, episode-by-episode summaries, and page-by-page annotations explaining allusions, defining obscure vocabulary, and illuminating the book's major themes. The goal is to help readers work their way through a difficult yet remarkably rewarding novel from one of American literature's most significant writers.

In a voice that's both relaxed and informed, the Companion illuminates what Harold Bloom called "Pynchon's late masterpiece." It crystallizes the prescience of Mason & Dixon, situating the novel within Pynchon's broader oeuvre, while being fun to read in its own right.

Author: Brett Biebel
ISBN-10: 082036584X
ISBN-13: 9780820365848
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2024
Pages: 308
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.37lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.81d