Mason & Dixon

Thomas Pynchon

    Because Freemasonry is a part (albeit small), we've mentioned this work. Many Masons are interested in even the most obscure references to the fraternity made in 'popular' works: here's one!

    The story travels back to pre-Revolutionary times to map the "cryptic & perilous" contours of a nation telling the story of Mason & Dixon's cartography - sort of. Those who have read Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow will find themselves with the same type of difficult reading including tortured, mind-numbing logic and weird literary devices through nearly 800 pages which mimic the rhythm, punctuation and spelling of the 18th century (uncommon capitalization and italics abound!).

    Charles Mason (an astronomer) and Jeremiah Dixon (a surveyor) were sent by the Royal Society in London to establish the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania and there, the similarity with reality seems to end. The book delves into conspiracies which have been the hallmark of Pynchon books and this work is no exception. There are schemes involving Freemasons, Sweden, France, the Dutch East India Company, calendar reform as well as a Jesuit maneuver to take over China. Diagramming these conspiracies would be nigh impossible for the garden variety conspiracy theorist - although some of those who specialize in anti-Masonic themes might be well-prepared for the task.

    New World Order and mysticism replete with melancholia conclude with Mason and Dixon realizing that their line itself is evil and their supposed feng shui Master, Captain Zhang, brings forth images of dragons for them. Pynchon's abstruse and difficult writing is no more evident than in this work.

Got lots of time on your hands and nothing else to read? Try this one....