Gravity’s Rainbow

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Gravity’s Rainbow is a dense, postmodern novel by Thomas Pynchon that intertwines World War II-era espionage, science, and paranoia in a sprawling, experimental narrative.

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Statements (56)

Predicate Object
instanceOf experimental fiction work
novel
postmodern novel
author Thomas Pynchon
awarded National Book Award for Fiction
surface form: 1974 National Book Award for Fiction (shared)
centralObject V-2 rocket
character Franz Pökler
Jessica Swanlake
Katje Borgesius
Pointsman
Roger Mexico
Tyrone Slothrop
controversy initially refused Pulitzer Prize by the Pulitzer advisory board
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
criticalReception considered one of the major works of postmodern literature
widely acclaimed
genre black comedy
historical fiction
postmodern literature
satire
science fiction
war novel
hasAdaptation stage adaptations
influenced contemporary postmodern novelists
language English
literaryMovement postmodernism
mainCharacter Tyrone Slothrop
narrativeStyle multiple perspectives
nonlinear
narrativeTechnique intertextuality
metafiction
pastiche
stream of consciousness
nominatedFor Nebula Award
surface form: 1973 Nebula Award for Best Novel
notableFor complex, fragmented narrative
dense, allusive prose
extensive use of songs and pastiche
originalPublicationDate 1973-02-28
pageCount ~760
plotElement Allied intelligence investigation of V-2 rockets
Slothrop’s sexual encounters correlating with rocket impacts
statistical analysis of rocket strikes
publicationYear 1973
publisher The Viking Press
surface form: Viking Press
setInPeriod World War II
immediate post–World War II era
structure four-part division
theme conspiracy
determinism and free will
entropy
paranoia
science and mysticism
sexuality
surveillance
technology and control
war and destruction

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mason & Dixon comparedToWork Gravity’s Rainbow
The Crying of Lot 49 followedBy Gravity’s Rainbow
Thomas Pynchon notableWork Gravity’s Rainbow