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rmasse's review against another edition
5.0
Truly trippy man. Written in such a way that you’re just as unsure of what’s going on as Doc. Doc Sportello is the best shitty PI ever.
xfirewalkwmex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bdubaya's review against another edition
3.0
It was... good? Basically this was a situation where I saw a movie trailer, wanted to see it, but then figured I should read the book first. If you like things that make total sense althroughout or at any point, it's probably not for you. It's disjointed and meandering, but in what's often a fun way. It's a stoner detective bumbling his way through a mystery, so it doesn't have to make a ton of sense. It's Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Groovy Events."
chrysemys's review against another edition
3.0
Not very Pynchonian... by that I mean I was able to mostly follow it and the number of characters was almost manageable. It was kind of fun, although not what you'd call gripping. A big gripe I have about the book is that the mention of specific locales in (mostly westside) LA is gratuitous/excessive, somehow self-indulgent and ultimately disruptive- the specific locations had nothing to do with the plot and, as a former resident of that area, I kept trying to envision them as they appear currently, which doesn't help, either.
quasidaisy's review against another edition
challenging
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
reflectivereader's review against another edition
3.0
The landscape of American literature would indeed be barren without the contributions of Thomas Pynchon. His brilliance is a thing of wondrous perplexity, and 'Inherent Vice' is no exception to this rule.
The book is a product of Pynchon's affinity for the arcane, the absurd, and the atypical, converging in a narrative that hovers between a neo-noir detective novel set in 1970's LA and a psychedelic trip into the depths of human consciousness. The protagonist, Larry 'Doc' Sportello, is a quirky, pot-smoking private investigator entangled in an intricate web of mysteries that is as chaotic as it is confounding, embroidered with Pynchon's signature erudition and industry-sharp satire.
Pynchon's ability to inject nuanced commentary into his narrative is undeniably adept. His critique of the socio-political landscape of 1970s America resonates powerfully and his portrayal of the era's cultural milieu is deftly realized, peppered with references to musical icons, drugs, and counterculture.
However, fans and first-time readers alike could find navigating the narrative exhausting. The plot spirals into an increasingly convoluted labyrinth of sub-plots, tangents and threads that, albeit intriguing, demand vigorous mental gymnastics to keep track of. Pynchon's tendency for excessive intricacy in 'Inherent Vice' leads to a sensory overload that can overshadow the essence of the narrative. There are moments of lucidity, but they are often drowned in the cacophony of Pynchon's unchecked verbosity.
When adapted into a film by Paul Thomas Anderson in 2014, 'Inherent Vice' was met with a lukewarm response, mirroring the polarizing reception of the novel itself. Anderson, albeit a competent filmmaker, struggled at times to translate the chaotic beauty of Pynchon's narrative onto the silver screen. His endeavor to maintain loyalty to Pynchon's unique style resulted in a film that, like the novel, oscillated between the brilliant and the baffling.
While some scenes are fantastically vivid and engaging, at large, the film gets tangled in the same narrative web that ensnares Pynchon's text. Even Joaquin Phoenix's strong performance as Doc could not entirely salvage the film from moments of incoherence and excess.
Though not Pynchon's strongest work, 'Inherent Vice' is a testament to his unique narrative style and his refusal to adhere to conventional storytelling. Despite its flaws and excesses, it offers insights that can be extracted only if one is patient and persevering enough to mine through the avalanche of his verbosity, making it both a rewarding and draining read.
The book is a product of Pynchon's affinity for the arcane, the absurd, and the atypical, converging in a narrative that hovers between a neo-noir detective novel set in 1970's LA and a psychedelic trip into the depths of human consciousness. The protagonist, Larry 'Doc' Sportello, is a quirky, pot-smoking private investigator entangled in an intricate web of mysteries that is as chaotic as it is confounding, embroidered with Pynchon's signature erudition and industry-sharp satire.
Pynchon's ability to inject nuanced commentary into his narrative is undeniably adept. His critique of the socio-political landscape of 1970s America resonates powerfully and his portrayal of the era's cultural milieu is deftly realized, peppered with references to musical icons, drugs, and counterculture.
However, fans and first-time readers alike could find navigating the narrative exhausting. The plot spirals into an increasingly convoluted labyrinth of sub-plots, tangents and threads that, albeit intriguing, demand vigorous mental gymnastics to keep track of. Pynchon's tendency for excessive intricacy in 'Inherent Vice' leads to a sensory overload that can overshadow the essence of the narrative. There are moments of lucidity, but they are often drowned in the cacophony of Pynchon's unchecked verbosity.
When adapted into a film by Paul Thomas Anderson in 2014, 'Inherent Vice' was met with a lukewarm response, mirroring the polarizing reception of the novel itself. Anderson, albeit a competent filmmaker, struggled at times to translate the chaotic beauty of Pynchon's narrative onto the silver screen. His endeavor to maintain loyalty to Pynchon's unique style resulted in a film that, like the novel, oscillated between the brilliant and the baffling.
While some scenes are fantastically vivid and engaging, at large, the film gets tangled in the same narrative web that ensnares Pynchon's text. Even Joaquin Phoenix's strong performance as Doc could not entirely salvage the film from moments of incoherence and excess.
Though not Pynchon's strongest work, 'Inherent Vice' is a testament to his unique narrative style and his refusal to adhere to conventional storytelling. Despite its flaws and excesses, it offers insights that can be extracted only if one is patient and persevering enough to mine through the avalanche of his verbosity, making it both a rewarding and draining read.
ohmanbleh's review against another edition
4.0
Whatcha got here is a classic noir, down to an opening with a blonde bombshell who has a job for a PI. The PI in question is Larry "Doc" Sportello, a former collection agent who's fallen in with the late-60's hippie scene in southern california.
Besides being beautifully written and often hilarious, it's also an entirely respectable noir -- the labyrinthine plot and hardboiled mood for me stands up to Raymond Chandler and the like.
It's also a love letter to that 60's hippie era, with a sometimes too-sweet nostalgia that verges into social commentary. As we watch Doc gradually come to terms with the end of the hippie era, there are echos of what's to come for America, for better or worse.
Besides being beautifully written and often hilarious, it's also an entirely respectable noir -- the labyrinthine plot and hardboiled mood for me stands up to Raymond Chandler and the like.
It's also a love letter to that 60's hippie era, with a sometimes too-sweet nostalgia that verges into social commentary. As we watch Doc gradually come to terms with the end of the hippie era, there are echos of what's to come for America, for better or worse.
asapphesteron's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sebarose's review against another edition
4.0
A good yarn. But like, you know, when the narrator is like stoned all the time, man, the story is, not to seem a zombie and all, but totally like, (hey! pass it this way and don't bogart it, man), sometimes confusing, and so forth.
And hip hip for the mustache cup!
And hip hip for the mustache cup!
trilby001's review against another edition
5.0
The dust jacket blurb: "in this lively yarn, Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the 60s, you weren't there. . .or. if you were there, then you. . .or wait, is it. . ." This is a good entree into the novel, a mystery/satire of life in California in the '60s. Although I never visited California during that decade, I lived through all the hippie craziness spun out of it.
I readily admit to being a Pynchon cultist. On my car is a bumper sticker that reads: "My other car is a Pynchon novel." I couldn't wait for the 104 people in front of me in the queue for the library copies, so I bought the book. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was rather surprised that this Pynchon novel turned out to be quite accessible (unlike "Gravity's Rainbow" or "V").
The title refers to a legal term meaning the quality of certain property or goods that makes them difficult to insure. This theme of
fragility or evanescence permeates the L.A. landscape. Characters die or come close to death, get disoriented or abducted, lose their way, are resurrected, shift shapes and identities. This is a world on the verge of extinction, fading away into the Nixon presidency.
The common element underlying the lives of all is popular culture: the suburban developments, shopping malls, cars, TV shows, movies, clothing, and music that defined the era. Characters frequently break into song, commenting, often ironically, on the situation at hand.
Set in the spring of 1970, the novel is an oblique spoof of the tough-guy L.A. detective genre. Larry "Doc" Sportello, the protagonist, is a kinder, gentler stoner Sam Spade. He's usually blitzed on pot or hash, a condition that frequently lands him in tight spots. But like Spade, he is no fool and somehow manages to wriggle his way out.
Maybe it's just me and my experience of the 'Sixies, but I found this an hilarious, yet darkly evocative portrait of the time when the people now running this country were coming of age. I can easily recall a dozen Larrys of my acquaintance who were born 1935-1950.
But Sportello is more than Everyhippie. His eyes might look like targets, but his head's on straight. Like Chandler's detective, he has an integrity notably missing in the police, drug lords, developers, rock musicians and attorneys that populate this book.
On Facebook, I belong to a group dedicated to awarding Pynchon the Nobel Prize. . . although he never will get it, nor would he go to pick it up if he had. "Inherent Vice" is not a maze of postmodernist ironic allusions like Pynchon's early works, but it still displays his unerring mastery of the American-English language. In my opinion "Gravity's Rainbow" is the Great American Novel. "Inherent Vice" ain't half-bad, either.
I readily admit to being a Pynchon cultist. On my car is a bumper sticker that reads: "My other car is a Pynchon novel." I couldn't wait for the 104 people in front of me in the queue for the library copies, so I bought the book. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was rather surprised that this Pynchon novel turned out to be quite accessible (unlike "Gravity's Rainbow" or "V").
The title refers to a legal term meaning the quality of certain property or goods that makes them difficult to insure. This theme of
fragility or evanescence permeates the L.A. landscape. Characters die or come close to death, get disoriented or abducted, lose their way, are resurrected, shift shapes and identities. This is a world on the verge of extinction, fading away into the Nixon presidency.
The common element underlying the lives of all is popular culture: the suburban developments, shopping malls, cars, TV shows, movies, clothing, and music that defined the era. Characters frequently break into song, commenting, often ironically, on the situation at hand.
Set in the spring of 1970, the novel is an oblique spoof of the tough-guy L.A. detective genre. Larry "Doc" Sportello, the protagonist, is a kinder, gentler stoner Sam Spade. He's usually blitzed on pot or hash, a condition that frequently lands him in tight spots. But like Spade, he is no fool and somehow manages to wriggle his way out.
Maybe it's just me and my experience of the 'Sixies, but I found this an hilarious, yet darkly evocative portrait of the time when the people now running this country were coming of age. I can easily recall a dozen Larrys of my acquaintance who were born 1935-1950.
But Sportello is more than Everyhippie. His eyes might look like targets, but his head's on straight. Like Chandler's detective, he has an integrity notably missing in the police, drug lords, developers, rock musicians and attorneys that populate this book.
On Facebook, I belong to a group dedicated to awarding Pynchon the Nobel Prize. . . although he never will get it, nor would he go to pick it up if he had. "Inherent Vice" is not a maze of postmodernist ironic allusions like Pynchon's early works, but it still displays his unerring mastery of the American-English language. In my opinion "Gravity's Rainbow" is the Great American Novel. "Inherent Vice" ain't half-bad, either.