[sound recording] /, 15 pages
English language
Published March 18, 2009 by Penguin Audio.
Doc Sportello is bewildered when an ex-girlfriend returns to recruit him in a plot to kidnap a wealthy construction executive. Soon, Sportello finds himself in the midst of a thrilling conspiracy with an undercover cop and a group of dentists who are swindling the IRS.
Reading this immediately after watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood left my mind in summer of '69 and its cultural effect on the years following for a few weeks. Both Doc & Bigfoot are perfect characterizations of both sides of the Hippy/Square continuum.
Following the plot can be a little hazy at times but I found it thoroughly enjoyable.
I have never read anything else Pynchon has written, and I have not seen the movie based on this book. Yet.
I found this to be a difficult book, but I am certain that the fault is with me and not the book itself. There are lots of people that come and go in this book, and I have a terrible memory for names. Which one was Bambi again? And Jade? And Petunia? Often I found myself just reading on, hoping that I would remember eventually. But I'm sure if I had made more of an effort then this would not have been a problem.
At times I got confused as to where the story was going, and after finishing the book I was sure I had missed some parts of the plots. But after checking online, it appears I did not. Some parts are just, well, more confusing than …
I have never read anything else Pynchon has written, and I have not seen the movie based on this book. Yet.
I found this to be a difficult book, but I am certain that the fault is with me and not the book itself. There are lots of people that come and go in this book, and I have a terrible memory for names. Which one was Bambi again? And Jade? And Petunia? Often I found myself just reading on, hoping that I would remember eventually. But I'm sure if I had made more of an effort then this would not have been a problem.
At times I got confused as to where the story was going, and after finishing the book I was sure I had missed some parts of the plots. But after checking online, it appears I did not. Some parts are just, well, more confusing than others. I still very much have a sense that much of this book went way over my head. (This might also be a good time to point out that English is my second language)
I did enjoy the book, though! It was not just difficult. Doc is a great character, and the interactions between him and the other characters is a joy throughout the book. The "mystery"-part of it seems like a (good) excuse to challenge and explore the characters. But even though I never really care much about who-dun-it, it's a joy following Doc stumbling on clues and pieces of information.
I read this now, because I wanted to have read the book before I saw the movie. I think that was a wise choice - but I very much look forward to seeing how PTA has translated it to the screen.
For some reason, I expect Thomas Pynchon to be so serious--but again, he made me laugh, several times. This novel is much more accessible than The Crying of Lot 49 (though even that contained a hilarious scene), and the main character, Doc, is very likeable, as are some of his pals. And the ending is happy for his friends, and optimistic about the future, too. I enjoyed the symbolism in that last scene.
