Camera-shy author Thomas Pynchon’s latest novel, Inherent Vice, is a psychedelic noir set in drug-addled ’60s Los Angeles.
Private investigator Doc Sporello wades through the haze of the era, encountering a motley crew of surfers, stoners, ex-cons, and loan sharks, on a case involving his ex-girlfriend’s billionaire new lover — but it’s not as straightforward as all that. In usual Pynchon fashion, the story is as unconventional as its characters, bearing the mark of the author’s enduring literary prowess. Read More »
Reclusive author Thomas Pynchon, known for his dislike of the media and publicity, may have just broken out of his shell. According to a post on the Guardian, there’s some blogosphere debate as to whether or not the voiceover in a trailer for Pynchon’s new novel, Inherent Vice, is actually him, or just someone who sounds a lot like his cameo on The Simpsons. Neither Penguin Press nor the producers of the video will confirm whether the voice in the video is him or not, but the move certainly has generated a lot of buzz. And in this economy, that is nothing but a plus. Read More »
Thomas Pynchon’s new novel officially comes out today, and it seems like every book critic in the world has already weighed in. The debate over the book’s merits reminds us of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Inherent Vice is a detective noir set in ’70s L.A.; the Times calls it Pynchon Lite, but the Wall Street Journal wonders if the book could actually be “a classic Pynchon opus masquerading as a light read.”
After reading seven different reviews, the only thing we can say with certainty is that the reviewers seem to share a lot of the same reference points. Read More »
