#82 in Historical fiction
Against the Day
- 1,104
- Pages
- about 20 h
- Reading time
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About the book
Against the Day is an epic historical novel by Thomas Pynchon, published on November 21, 2006. The narrative takes place between the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the time immediately following World War I and features more than 280 characters spread across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Central Asia, Africa and, according to the book jacket blurb written by Pynchon, "one or two places not strictly speaking on the map at all." Like its predecessors, Against the Day is an example of historiographic metafiction or metahistorical romance. At 1,085 pages, it is the longest of Pynchon's novels to date.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 51 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 25% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Historical fiction average of 8.0. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.0 | 5 | 10% |
| Google Books | 7.0 | 5 | 10% |
| Hardcover | 8.4 | 41 | 80% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Just over 800 pages in and I'm calling it read. I am done with Against the Day, done with Pynchon. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the book, there is never a dull moment, if it's not the plot (yes, there is plenty…”
Frequently asked
How long is Against the Day?
It has 1,104 pages — longer than 97% of the ranked books in Historical fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Historical fiction — and a score of 8.1, the closest to this book.
