In the pantheon of post-modernist literature, there are few authors as beguiling as Thomas Pynchon. With his World War II novel "Gravity's Rainbow," he defied the potential of what constituted literary prose. It was at times brilliant and other times juvenile, creating a world where intellects butted heads with idiots with some frequency. What was it all for? Nobody is entirely sure, and that's part of the fun for the anomaly of a reclusive author. If there's any fault with "Vineland," it's that it had to follow up such a behemoth of a novel. For those who lobbed tons of criticism against his previous work, there's a good chance that they will come away appreciating what he achieves here so much more. With that said, it's become considered a minor work by Pynchon and for good reason. It plays all the hits, finding the hippie movement growing old as a new conservative age comes. There's a lot of head-butting and music motifs. It's entertaining even if it doens't quite have the home run appeal fans would like.
One of the greatest things about reading Pynchon is his love for colorful characters. From the first pages, he's able to turn "Vineland" into a confusing new landscape of potential. As he comments on a man who makes his living off of TV, he tries to find a way to make sense of the advertising that he sees. With several songs written throughout the book, there's something playful with how he unfolds the story. There's a mystery that serves almost as a tangent, allowing this world to grow into even stranger directions. It's not as cohesive as his other work, but it all builds a universe that is trying to make sense of a logic that was never put properly into place to begin with. At a point it has no choice but to meander, reveling in the wondrous mix of Southern California characters who come from a cross-section of backgrounds, capturing the atmosphere with referential humor and bits that will give the reader a reason to double take.
If there's any fault with this outing, it's that it lacks the weight narratively of his best work. Even with the memorable characters, there's none that feel as essential as "The Crying of Lot 49" or even later with "Inherent Vice." His willingness to just get invested in tangents and pages-long conversations that sound unimportant allow the story to have a natural hangout vibe but also leave more eager readers wanting to get onto the next scene. This is a story more about ensemble than anything else, finding them struggling to exist in a world not too dissimilar from the contemporary Reagan administration that promoted conservatism and a certain sheen of fakeness that Pynchon mocks with aplomb. It's a funny story without really covering anything essential.
With all of this said, every Pynchon outing is worth reading at least once. He is a very specific writer whose pages feel like an inside joke with the reader, making one laugh at those who don't understand what's going on. For those who love post-modernism and early 90s Americana, this is a fairly entertaining read even as it becomes more sporadic in its success. The other good news is that he didn't just make "Gravity's Rainbow 2," choosing to play with tone and characters in a very different direction. The results may have not been exceptional, but they at least showed his playfulness. He had more on his mind than war. He also wanted to cover consumerism in all of its ridiculousness. It may read as hollow and inessential, but it's perfectly Pynchon in execution. The results may vary, but they're far from disappointing or predictable.
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