How to read Pynchon

I discovered this link in the latest LT review of Gravity's Rainbow. There's some good advice in there, but what's with the dissing on Mason & Dixon? I know it got remaindered at one point, but hey! It's probably my favorite Pynchon novel.

Gravity's Rainbow in a jiffy.

I hope this is not a spoiler, but give you an outline of the novel.

http://www.pynchon.pomona.edu/gr/grams.html

Connections everywhere ... here's the Knights of Malta having a charity ball in New York City:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/fashion/order-of-malta-white-cross-ball.html?_...