Pynchon's Inherent Vice - Pulp? Recommended either way.

[Adrien]

Inherent Vice has a sleazy P.I protagonist, and is quite a fun read. Like a post LSD Philip Marlow or Lew Archer, Doc Sportello uncovers a conspiracy in 1970 Southern California, mostly through stubborn persistence, and his own personal brand of ethics, and unlike the aforementioned, a lot of pot smoking.

Though I'd mention this book as it would be a shame for pulp fiction fans to miss out on this one, because they think Pynchon is only for eggheads. He usually is, but I believe the critics gave him a hard time for slumming it with Inherent Vice.

[Kurt]

I read it some months ago. I thought it was good (gave it 4 stars) but I wouldn't call it noir as it was promoted. Some of it reminded me of Vineland and Crying of Lot 49, but that's also Pynchon's method. I would recommend it also to fans of detective genre.

[Toby]

Cool suggestion, this way i can say i've read Pynchon without having to read Pynchon!

[Adrien]

Lot 49, Vineland and Inherent Vice are sometimes referred to as the "California Trilogy". I find all three to be fun, but Inherent Vice the most fun. Mashing Pynchon's zany density through the sieve of the detective story format gives it that page-turnability.

[Simon]

"Inherent Vice" is very good and top shelf material as far as I am concerned. Hardboiled detective fiction by authors who are usually not associated with the genre can still be very good, see also Peter Høeg's "Smilla's Sense of Snow".

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls, Private Eye]

Simon wrote: ""Inherent Vice" is very good and top shelf material as far as I am concerned. Hardboiled detective fiction by authors who are usually not associated with the genre can still be very good, see also ..."

I agree. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

[Simon]

I have yet to see the film, though, heard it's surprisingly good.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls, Private Eye]

Simon wrote: "I have yet to see the film, though, heard it's surprisingly good."

Paul Thomas Anderson's films are usually pretty watchable, with the exception of the execrable Magnolia.

[[deleted user]]

Simon wrote: ""Inherent Vice" is very good and top shelf material as far as I am concerned. Hardboiled detective fiction by authors who are usually not associated with the genre can still be very good, see also ..."

Only just got a copy of this recently