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A review by reflectivereader
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
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.