A Gravity's Rainbow Companion: Sources and Contexts for Pynchon's NovelSteven provides a page-by-page, often line-by-line, guide to the welter of historical references, scientific data, cultural fragments, anthropological research, jokes and puns around which Pynchon wove his novel. This is a guide book to one of the most important, and intractable, literary works of our time. |
Common terms and phrases
acronym American analepsis Angeles appears argot astrological August Baedeker Bantam Berlin Blicero bomb brand British called color comic dance death December derives describes designed Dornberger England Enzian episode example fictional film fire French German Gottfried Gravity's Rainbow Greek Grimm Herero hysteron proteron IG Farben Irving Jessica Kabbalistic Katje known Kooy and Uytenbogaart Kracauer launch located London Lüneberg Lüneberg Heath Luttig lyric mandala Martín Fierro miles moon myth mythology narrative narrator Nazi night Nordhausen North novel once Pavlov's Peenemünde Pirate played Pointsman Pökler preterite Pynchon Notes Pynchon's source radio recalls reference Rilke's Roger Rossini Russian Sasuly satire signifies slang Slothrop song stars story Street symbol Tannhäuser Tarot Tchitcherine Teutonic Thanatz Thomas Pynchon tion translation U.S. Army V-2 rockets V-E Day Weissmann's White Goddess William Pynchon World York