Literary · Satire and dark comedy · Historical
Gravity's Rainbow
Late in the Second World War, American soldier Tyrone Slothrop appears to be connected to the German V-2 rocket, and he is tracked across Europe by many parties. The sprawling, allusive novel has hundreds of characters.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1973
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 760
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like enormous, difficult postmodern novels and are happy to be lost for long stretches.
Skip this if you want a clear storyline or are put off by dense, bizarre and sometimes disturbing material.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about Gravity's Rainbow
- What is Gravity's Rainbow about?
- Late in the Second World War, American soldier Tyrone Slothrop appears to be connected to the German V-2 rocket, and he is tracked across Europe by many parties. The sprawling, allusive novel has hundreds of characters.
- Who should read Gravity's Rainbow?
- Read it if you like enormous, difficult postmodern novels and are happy to be lost for long stretches. Skip it if you want a clear storyline or are put off by dense, bizarre and sometimes disturbing material.
- How long and how fast is Gravity's Rainbow?
- It is a slow-paced, long read of about 760 pages, first published in 1973.
- Does Gravity's Rainbow have content warnings?
- Content we flag: War, Sexual content, Violence, Torture.
- Can I borrow Gravity's Rainbow for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Gravity's Rainbow; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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| Ebook | ||
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| Audiobook | ||
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| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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