I’m curious how the Paul Thomas Anderson film develops the story. That’s partly what drew me - the myth of that era. I mean.I like California in those periods.

If you experienced California in the sixties and seventies, this might be your thing. I would have rather read several other things. I would say this sucker is for the initiated only. (I didn’t really ever like Big Lebowski, haha.) This book has more going for it than that movie, but. People will say that and you might be allured by that, but they’re wrong. Post modern and self aware and weird for its own sake in many instances. As a detective story, it’s sort of like Altman’s Long Goodbye. Just that the story is very specific in its time and place and I feel like I was born maybe ten years too late for this book to have really landed. The thing is that I don’t think a lot of people would have much to put into it. In other words, you get what you put into this thing. The biggest problem is you know it’s going to take some effort and you kind of realize at some point that it’s not going to be rewarded except in maybe the most esoteric ways - and that’s assuming you have the point of reference for a lot of the cultural references to mean anything to you at all. I don’t think I ever would have gotten through this book without having it read by Audible. So it takes forever for me to read a book (in the physical form). I love story, but damn it if I can’t sit still for long.

That’s one of the great things about Audible. Something compelling but over all disappointing Lot 49 is also very accessible and even V., and i'm looking forward to Against the Day to see which way it leans, Gravity or Vice. Gravity's Rainbow is another kettle of fish entirely. I found myself getting nostalgic with all the late 60's pop-culture references to movies and television shows and music of the time. There are many Pynchonesque themes ( paranoia enhanced perhaps by the drugs entropy and communication and mechanization/computerization government conspiracy) but these won't get in the way for non-Pynchon-ers. There are plenty of allusions and puns and word plays, but again not for the most part obtrusive. There are some funny moments along the way and the plot gets convoluted like the old noirs, but the stoned surfer type detective and the dialogue is really what's of interest. Think Big Lebowski crossed with a noir-ish mystery, a little Chinatown, a little Big Sleep.etc. The 'plot' echoes Crying of Lot 49 a little and there are allusions to other novels, Vineland, Against the Day, Gravity's Rainbow, but they are unobtrusive nods, and the story is very linear and enjoyable. This is a rather un-Pynchon-like Pynchon, but very good.

Inherent vice by thomas pynchon