One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.
My husband had always recommended The Crying Of Lot 49 by Thoman Pynchon to me, but I didn’t know what it was about. I had a vague sense it was about war. I was wrong.
When Oedipa Maas’ ex-lover passes away and unexpectedly makes her co-executer of his will. When she travels down to San Narciso, near LA, an unexpected world is opened to her. Oedipa’s life will never be the same after this seemingly mundane task.
When I was rearranging our book shelves a few months ago, I saw that we had two copies of this book. It’s so slim and enticing! I finally picked this book up and what a great decision! This is a new favorite book for sure! Published in 1965 and set in an alternate California, this book takes the world we knows but puts a new spin on it. Secret societies, LSD pushing doctors, grave diggers and bone sellers, rewritten plays, mysterious authors, love triangles, and underground mail services, are just a few things that Oedipa discovers when she delves deeper into her ex lover’s life and death. The writing in this book was at times strange and obscure, many references were strange to me, or outdated. But it made this book totally immersive and and experiential. I loved the concept of a world just out of sight of the world we know and that one secret society can birth many more. This book made me start looking for clue and conspiracies everywhere. Crying of Lot 49 was a delightful read that just made me happy. I couldn’t wait to get back to it each day. I highly recommend this book to all those interested in bizarre and compelling writing and stories, readers who like short and exciting books, fans of conspiracy theories or underground societies and anyone who likes alternate histories.
Have you read this book? Did you love it or were you weirded out?
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