I haven't read that one, but I read Mason & Dixon when I was in college. I knew just enough history and scientific trivia to know that Pynchon was playing a lot of highly intelligent games and to realize that a lot was flying over my head, but not enough to really appreciate the book. Would be interesting to revisit it again.

that book left me feeling like i’d wrestled a bear to a draw, and it was still staring at me contemplating a round 2.