Mason & Dixon: A Novel

“Ev’rywhere else on earth, Boundaries follow Nature,- coast-lines, ridge-tops, river-banks,- so honoring the Dragon or Shan within, from which Land-scape ever takes its form. To mark a right Line upon the Earth is to inflict upon the Dragon’s very Flesh, a sword-slash, a long, perfect scar, impossible for any who live out here the hear ‘round to see as other than hateful Assault. How can it pass unanswer’d?”

- Capt. Zhang, on the feng-shui of the Mason-Dixon Line

I was admittedly never able to get over the language barrier in this book. Pynchon’s choice to only write in 1770’s lingo and vernacular constantly made my head spin. This was way more confusing than Gravity’s Rainbow: I would finish whole chapters without a single identifiable image to grasp onto. I had to take frequent, long breaks so my head didn’t explode.

That being said, I find that the great thing about Pynchon to be that he seems to understand how cryptic and difficult his writing is and doesn’t require you to get everything to grasp the weight of his themes. Who tells history? Can we trust a historical narrative told to us by someone who has their own agendas? How has historical bias affected religion, humanity, namely, Americans? Was America ever truly able to break away from all of the machinations of the British Monarchy, built to keep them in line (like, perhaps, a big straight line to divide the country into two distinct cultures)? How does America square its need and desire for independence and freedom while still clinging to its colonialist roots, like race-based slavery?

All of these serious, heavy questions asked in a story full of were-beavers, talking dogs, holy sandwiches, disembodied ears, and malicious wheels of cheese. Pynchon’s comedic wit, beautiful, thought-provoking prose, and the endearing friendship of Mason & Dixon is what got me through this book I could barely comprehend, and actaully like it at the end. Even though like 90% of this book flew over my head, I still have an immense respect for the creative spirit the novel has. Can’t wait to read V.