31 Thomas Pynchon Quotes To Help You Unpack The Complex Writer
Gallery
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. is an American writer and novelist born in Glen Cove, Long Island, NY.
His father, Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr. was an Engineer, and his mother, Katherine Bennette, was a nurse. His ancestral past has considerably influenced his writing style.
His fiction and non-fiction works and short stories spread across various subjects like music, history, science, and mathematics.
After having graduated from Cornell University, he briefly worked for Boeing for a few years. His love for writing short stories and complex novels led him to pursue writing as a full-time career.
His work as a technical writer at Boeing in Seattle influenced a few aspects in his novels that came after.
Through Yoyodyne corporation in his novel 'V' and his next book 'The Crying of lot 49', we can see considerable inspiration drawn from his experience working at Boeing. Along with Thomas Pynchon's work, you may also be interested in our other collections which include Kurt Vonnegut quotes and Thomas Wolfe quotes.
Thomas Pynchon 'Gravity's Rainbow' Quotes
'Gravity's Rainbow' is an award-winning novel that is set in the backdrop of Europe after World War II. The book transgresses boundaries between literary propriety and profanity, and the boundaries between high and low culture.
Though picked up by The Pulitzer Jury in 1974 under the fiction category, the jury was offended by its content. They termed certain pages as 'obscene' and 'unreadable'.
However, many critics consider Gravity's Rainbow as one of the greatest American literary works ever. We are presenting a collection of quotes from Thomas Pynchon's 'Gravity's Rainbow' that depicts his complex writing style.
1.“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.”
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
2.“Through the machineries of greed, pettiness, and the abuse of power, love occurs.”
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
3.“Danger's over, Banana Breakfast is saved.”
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
4."Our history is an aggregate of last moments."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
5."You may never get to touch the Master, but you can tickle his creatures."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
6."The object of life is to make sure you die a weird death. To make sure that, however, it finds you, it finds you under very weird circumstances."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
7."It provides raw material to be recorded into History, so that children may be taught History as sequences of violence, battle after battle, and be more prepared for the adult world."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
8.“All the animals, the plants, the minerals, even other kinds of men, are being broken and reassembled every day, to preserve an elite few, who are the loudest to theorize on freedom, but the least free of all.”
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
9."It is difficult to look for long at the strange single eye crowning the pyramid which is found on every dollar bill and not begin to believe the story, a little."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
10.“They're in love.”
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
11."Best of all, mass death's a stimolous to just ordinary folks, little fellows, to try 'n' grab a piece of that Pie while they're still here to gobble it up."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
12.“There is nothing so loathsome as a sentimental surrealist."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
13."The mass nature of wartime death is useful in many ways."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
14."Let the peace of this day be here tomorrow when I wake up."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
15."The hand of Providence creeps among the stars, giving Slothrop the finger."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
16."Ruins he goes daily to look in are each a sermon on vanity."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
Inspirational Quotes From 'Gravity's Rainbow'
Having read some complex quotes from Thomas Pynchon's work, here are a few funny yet inspirational quotes from 'Gravity's Rainbow' the literary work.
17."That joyful feelin’ when-you’re up-on the ceiling"
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
18."There was no difference between the behavior of a god and the operations of pure chance."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
19."One of the sweetest fruits of victory, after sleep and looting, must be the chance to ignore no-parking signs."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
20."Danger's over, Banana Breakfast is saved."
-Thomas Pynchon Quotes 'Gravity 's Rainbow'.
Best Thomas Pynchon Quotes
Thomas Pynchon's other works include 'V', 'The Crying of Lot 49', and 'Inherent Vice'. This article brings you a collection of the best and most famous quotes from Thomas Pynchon's works.
21.“Why should things be easy to understand?”
―Thomas Pynchon.
22."Paranoia's the garlic in life's kitchen, right: you can never have too much."
-Thomas Pynchon.
23."A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now."
-Thomas Pynchon.
24."I want to be taken in love: so taken that you and I, and death, and life, will be gathered inseparable, into the radiance of what we would become...."
-Thomas Pynchon.
25."There is no real direction here, neither lines of power nor cooperation."
-Thomas Pynchon.
26."Our history is an aggregate of last moments."
—Thomas Pynchon.
27."Too many anarchists in 19th-century Europe—Bakunin, Proudhon, Salverio Friscia—were Masons for it to be pure chance."
-Thomas Pynchon.
28."Like a record on a turntable, all it takes is one groove's difference and the universe can be on into a whole 'another song.'"
-Thomas Pynchon, 'Inherent Vice'.
29."What can one make out of himself?"
-Thomas Pynchon 'Mason Dixon ch. 69'.
30."If it came as any surprise to the public then their own blindness is the Great Tragedy, hardly the war itself."
-Thomas Pynchon, 'V'.
31."You wait. Everyone has an Antarctic."
-Thomas Pynchon.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Thomas Pynchon Quotes To Help You Unpack The Complex Writer then why not take a look at Tennessee Williams quotes, or [Hemingway love quotes].
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Arts Hons specializing in Modern Languages (French and Spanish)
Monisha KochharBachelor of Arts Hons specializing in Modern Languages (French and Spanish)
A Modern Languages graduate from the University College London, Monisha with a passion for travel and exploring different cultures. She is fluent in French and Spanish and is currently learning Hindi. Monisha enjoys discovering new foods and is an avid sports fan, following soccer and Formula 1. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis and watching TV shows.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.