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Comment: Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Date of Publication: 1984
Binding: hardcover
Edition: 1st
Condition: Fine copy in nearly fine dust jacket
Description: 8vo, First printing of the first edition.
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Thomas Pynchon
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Slow Learner : Early Stories + Vineland Paperback – January 1, 1985

by Thomas Pynchon (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 113 ratings
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A collection of the five stories that launched the outstanding American novelist's career includes an introductory essay in which he sketches the milieu in which he began writing. From the Noiseless Chatter blog): "In 1984, eleven years after Gravity’s Rainbow, Pynchon finally published something: a collection of other things he had already published. Slow Learner isn’t that great; as a reading experience, you’d be hard pressed to do much worse. As a slow study of a young artist becoming a legendary one, though, it’s unparalleled.By this point Pynchon had only released three novels, but his reluctance to speak about himself, make public appearances, provide interviews, or do anything else that established writers were supposed to do meant that a huge part of Slow Learner‘s value came from the brief introduction Pynchon provided [analyzing his work]. Spotlighting it here meant that people wouldn’t miss its inclusion, and, certainly, it still stands as the book’s highlight."
Previous page
  1. Print length
    193 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little Brown & Company
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1985
  5. ISBN-10
    0316724424
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0316724425
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little Brown & Company; First Edition (January 1, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 193 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316724424
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316724425
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 113 ratings

About the author

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Thomas Pynchon

Thomas Pynchon

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Thomas Pynchon was born in 1937. His books include The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland, and Mason & Dixon.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
113 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Steventh
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this!
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2014
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This book looks almost new and it is played well. I am so satisfied and happy to buy this quality of book for cheaper price!
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pisces dreaming
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2014
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Love this book, that's why I ordered a copy.
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Brian
4.0 out of 5 stars The Introduction is worth the price
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2012
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The first paragraph of the introduction is almost worth the price of the collection. For the person who has not read Thomas Pynchon, it is a first class review of what his work is like. The humor and seriousness are there, tempered with a bit of Sci-Fi whimsy. But the way that he takes the stories apart and shows what is missing, is a lesson for any budding writer. This book should be taught in many writing classes. I particularily love when he disses himself for creating a rule of writing and makes himself follow it. (The list of writers who do this very thing, is a long, long list!) I also love his comment that he was showing off his "Ear" (For dialogue) before he had actually attained one.

It is nice that he left these stories in the condition that he found them, but I can't help but wonder what might have happened if he had revised or revisited them now as a master of his craft. (And then printed both versions.)

Thomas Pynchon (and others) have downed these stories. But, what is poor, beginning writing for someone like Pynchon, is a level that many aspiring writers NEVER achieve. The story Entropy has been reprinted several times, so even though Pynchon finds it weak, it has great value. (At least to some editors.) The first time that I read it, I was not aware that this story was repudiated by its own author.

While Pynchon really requires several hundred pages to reach the stride of his genius, I would certainaly state that these stories and introduction are an excellent place to start to read Thomas Pynchon. While he is often thought of as a writer who mines the pathway, and puts up boundries for his readers, this is far from true. Granted he is a difficult writer, and you need to know a LOT of stuff to completely "Get" what his is up to, he can be read for sheer pleasure. Get what you can and try to get more on each re-reading.
11 people found this helpful
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Nomnom
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015
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good stuff
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Fred C.
3.0 out of 5 stars A second-best starting point when it comes to Pynchon
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2008
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This is an interesting collection of early stories, but my bet is that those who will enjoy the book most are those people who have already bought into the Pynchon mystique. I'm one of them, to be sure, so I must confess I have enjoyed it. Some of Pynchon's talents are already here on display, but what I miss the most is the irrepressible excess and the dizzying rhythm that characterizes his later prose. Some of the stories seem to flitter and fade, caught up in curiosities that are soon cast away. The settings in which Pynchon displays his talent varies: nineteenth-century espionage, a hurricane that ravages a town in Louisiana, a dysfunctional marriage. Pynchon fans will like some of those odd situations and odd characters, such as the ending of the story "Low-lands," and the psychologist "Geronimo Diaz," from the same story. Of great interest to Pynchon readers will be the opening essay, a blunt and detailed appraisal of the stories: a rare gesture in Pynchon. (I recommend reading it last, by the way, even though it prefaces the collection.) I titled this review "a second-best starting point," and it is because people who read Pynchon for the first time will probably do best to choose "The Crying of Lot 49," in which Pynchon's greatness is already well-formed, but it is encapsulated in a manageable 150 pages (as opposed to the bulkier later work).
11 people found this helpful
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Tanstaafl
5.0 out of 5 stars A Pynch of early Pynchon
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2008
I agree with other reviewers that the fun of this book lies in Pynchon's thoughts of these early efforts. It made the reading of them much more enjoyable. It also made them seem better then they really were, since I realized they were not to be judged in the same light as his later works. So, the fifth star was for his honesty.

This is a recommended read for any reader interested in the entire works of Pynchon.
6 people found this helpful
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Jeremy Schep
4.0 out of 5 stars Precocious
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2014
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I find myself enjoying Pynchon's stories more than Tom himself does. But I digress. If you want to see a talent arise, read this. Pynchon's critical, self-deprecating and humorous intro might be the highlight of this collection, but his stories, while flawed and reeking of "young amateur writer" are enjoyable as well and show just how precocious a writer the man is. If you're an experienced fan, get this one.
2 people found this helpful
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cmberman
3.0 out of 5 stars Purchased for class.
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2017
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I only needed to read one story from this text and I purchased solely because it's easier for me to read printed material than electronic.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kirk & Kirk
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful literary portraiture
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2021
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Pynchon creates tableaux so vivid and compelling that the reader senses an instant empathy with his characters.
The rich vocabulary is often at odds with the rough ambiance but, in some strange way, they complete each other.
Interesting to read how Pynchon feels about his early work. A great read!
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Kirk & Kirk
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful literary portraiture
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2021
Pynchon creates tableaux so vivid and compelling that the reader senses an instant empathy with his characters.
The rich vocabulary is often at odds with the rough ambiance but, in some strange way, they complete each other.
Interesting to read how Pynchon feels about his early work. A great read!
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PR and ರೌವ್
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on November 9, 2016
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Humorous.
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MR J.
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting for completists
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2019
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All good. Nice edition and interesting to see Pynchon's evolution as a writer.
One person found this helpful
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Ross Burns
3.0 out of 5 stars No index
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2020
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Why no contents page? How weird in a book of short stories not to have one. So it's guess the names, how long the stories are, and where they are in the book. Time well spent.
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