I'm thinking of buying one of his books, but I'm undecided. Is it worth it do you think? In general, what does WF think of his works?
Brilliant, but difficult. Not the easiest stuff in the world to read, but very rewarding if you put in the time.
I'm a massive fan of Pynchon. The best place to start is with V., and then work your way on from there. V. is maybe the easiest to understand, but Gravity's Rainbow is his Magnum Opus.
I've heard Gravity's rainbow is the last one you should try if you want to tackle his work, and V is the most accessible, so yea, I'll take your advice Lemex
Some people say that The Crying of Lot 49 is the best introduction, simply because it's his shortest novel. These people are going to hell for lying. It's a good book and all that jazz, but it's not the best introduction to Pynchon.
Slow Learner: Early Stories, I think is the name of the collection of stories of his that I really like, partly because it contains "Entropy" which is a favorite of mine.
Read Gravity's Rainbow. Sure, it's difficult, and huge, and even more difficult, but it has a legitimate claim to being the Great American Novel. And it will teach you everything you need to know about Pynchon. Maybe.
