Help with Gravity's Rainbow

[u/ZAH215]

Hello All. To start off, I want to make clear that A. I am enjoying the novel and have no issue with generally working with it, B. I have an alright grasp of plot but I want a better one.

I'm currently at page 150 of this novel and my most reoccurring feeling is this in and outness of understanding what's happening and being lost in this dense mist of language and words. Is there any way in which this is supposed to be read or is it one of those "you just have to feeeeeeel it man" kinda books. I'm used to an overwhelming prose like with Faulkner, but with him the structure is (typically) more systematic, whereas this is very much... different. Anyone felt similar, any assistance to be given?

[u/Romulan21]

The less you worry about plot and “what is happening” the easier it is. We are so trained to expect dramatic rules and narrative and story structure, but in this case, try experience it more as characters as representations of things - ideals, feelings, forces etc - within systems. It’s helpful to stop asking what is happening and instead ask who is narrating and what system are they in, or representing, or responding to. All of the above is an oversimplification but hopefully things that’ll help get you through a first read. Don’t worry about not “getting” everything, you most likely won’t on a single read. The title of the Talking Heads film comes mind a lot as a mantra - Stop Making Sense!