Thomas Pynchon in Context

Literature in Context

by Inger H. Dalsgaard (Editor)

Thomas Pynchon in Context guides students, scholars and other readers through the global scope and prolific imagination of Pynchon's challenging, canonical work, providing the most up-to-date and authoritative scholarly analyses of his writing. This book is divided into three parts. The first, 'Times and Places', sets out the history and geographical contexts both for the setting of Pynchon's novels and his own life. The second, 'Culture, Politics and Society', examines twenty important and recurring themes which most clearly define Pynchon's writing - ranging from ideas in philosophy and the sciences to humor and pop culture. The final part, 'Approaches and Readings', outlines and assesses ways to read and understand Pynchon. Consisting of Forty-four essays written by some of the world's leading scholars, this volume outlines the most important contexts for understanding Pynchon's writing and helps readers interpret and reference his literary work.

410 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2019

Reviews

[Bear · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Pynchon (and look exactly like someone who loves Pynchon would). I think he's one of the last mad geniuses still at work in English literature. However, the conglomerate of critics curated in this collection seem intent on strawmanning Pynchon into a seriousness to match their own. Yes there's something in calling Benny Profane a schlemihl, and it being Christmas Eve, 1955, in Virginia... but the dude's there to suck on beer taps shaped like tits. Sure there's a lot to unpack in Tyrone Slothrop's erections dictating where bombs land, undoubtedly edging out an allegory of the phallic invading force of America... but - c'mon - you have to mention the guy's in a zoot suit the whole time.

Almost all of these critics seem so obsessed with presenting Pynchon as the "genius" they forget the "mad", and fundamentally Pynchon is about this intersect. You can't take him seriously without accepting his stupidity. Or else it's like analysing a clown show at 24 frames per minute and asking people at the end if they still got the jokes.