a phenomenal book, much different from any other Gaddis because of the amount of narration, which shrinks to almost nothing amidst mountains of dialogue in his other works. He always has one theme/criticism (i.e. JR = economics, A Frolic of His Own = law) in his books along with the whole "art is destroyed by modern society" argument, but R has by far the broadest and deepest critique of falsity in our culture, focused specifically on religion in this but applied to just about everything, and also points towards positive methods of overcoming society as opposed to just being cynical. The book could've been a hundred or two pages shorter and still just as effective, but it's not like there's any parts that really lag behind. Towards the 2/3rds mark there are 2 long party scenes back to back filled with dialogue that, while entertaining and advancing his argument, were ultimately less compelling than the portions of the novel that had a better balance of narrative framework and supporting action. ( )

Gaddis brilliantly mines the central metaphor of forgery and fraud to explore the diverse worlds of capitalism, art, religion, and the ways we are in the world. Vast, exhausting, formally inventive and daring, the book yet touches the heart as it invades the brain.Perhaps not the place to start with Gaddis (for that I'd recommend _A Frolic of His Own_) but an unmatched joy of a novel. ( )

Started and hugely enjoyed the intense writing style, each sentence packed with meaning worthy of a page to itself. Notwithstanding diatribes about religion and RC, wide ranging references to literature and the arts, easy to snuggle into each sentence and saviour its import. Apart from 'The End' ? glimpsed in the first pages, weight of angst drags against plot development as we skedaddle around the world. Wearily and with aching arms, the resting book may never be picked up again, not too sure whether I am bothered about what happens to whom; ideas, character development and plot seemed to have plateaued. ( )

To encapsulate within the narrow scope of my very limited vocabulary just how brilliant this novel is would be too much to ask for nearly any fan (or otherwise) of William Gaddis' work. While reading The Recognitions I am constantly amazed at how full a text it is. The language is thick when describing and realisitic when dialoguing. When carefully and thoughtfully read a rich bounty of rewards awaits the attentive reader. I have had many intimate moments with this work when, perhaps sitting in a coffee shop, I'll be involved in a particularly frustrating piece of dialogue and I'll laugh out loud at Gaddis' razor-sharp eye for the frailty of human interactions, how easy it is for us to misunderstand, misrepresent, and misinterpret one another. The novel goes much deeper than just a simple plot with character development, conflict, climax and ending. It is a vast network of people, places, parties, conversations, words, phrases, observations, realizations, and everything else it means to be human.
The Recognitions is by far my favorite work of fiction in the twentieth century, perhaps in any century .
One caveat before reading: you have to pass page eighty-five or so before it starts to become really engrossing. ( )

This is one of my favorite novels. It takes a lot of work to get through it, but it engrossing, funny, and beautifully written. Gaddis is a masterful writer too difficult to ever gain any real popularity, but that's everyone else's loss. ( )