Posted by Sterling on 2/5/2009, 22:48:35, in reply to "Re: Franny and Zooey / Lost in the Funhouse"
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I really don't know what else to say about Pynchon. If I were you, I don't think I'd waste my time on The Crying of Lot 49 again. Twice is surely enough if you didn't like it. His next shortest book is Vineland, which I enjoyed a great deal, but which apparently many people didn't like. You might try it. Also, he has a new novel coming out later this year, Inherent Vice, which is described as psychedelic noir. It's supposed to be somewhat shorter, too.
Now Shakespeare is another matter. There is a huge stumbling block if you don't like reading plays, poetry, or both. I feel certain this has been discussed before, but have you tried watching them performed? There are several good film versions available on DVD. I like Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, Polanski's Macbeth, and Branagh's Henry V.
Macbeth is possibly the tightest of all Shakespeare's famous plays. If you didn't like it, I'm not sure where to suggest that you go next. If you have a taste for cynicism and bitterness, you might try Measure for Measure or Troilus and Cressida. I find the spirit of these plays more modern somehow.
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