Inherent Vice

By: Thomas Pynchon

Narrated by: Ron McLarty

Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Part noir, part psychedelic romp, all Thomas Pynchon - Private eye Doc Sportello surfaces, occasionally, out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era.

In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre that is at once exciting and accessible, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the '60s, you weren't there.

It's been a while since Doc Sportello has seen his ex-girlfriend. Suddenly she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. It's the tail end of the psychedelic '60s in LA, and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy", except that this one usually leads to trouble. Undeniably one of the most influential writers at work today, Pynchon has penned another unforgettable book.

©2009 Thomas Pynchon (P)2009 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"What he does, and brilliantly, is open windows onto a universe where we're all in custody, but we're none of us sure who put on the cuffs...entertainment of a high order.” (TIME)

"An enjoyable book by a writer whose work can be daunting.” (John Powers, Fresh Air on NPR)

“With whip-smart, psychedelic-bright language, Pynchon manages to convey the Sixties - except the Sixties were never really like this. This is Pynchon's world, and it's brilliant. The resolution is as crisp as Doc is laid-back. Highly recommended.” (The Library Journal)

That's just like, your opinion, man.

What made the experience of listening to Inherent Vice the most enjoyable?

Mr. McLarty's many voices and unique expressions for each character.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

No, but then again, if you were expecting it to, you don't know Pynchon. The plot plods along at a doper's pace, flip-flops patting against the boardwalk, but with a steady and unflappable drive toward a toothy conclusion.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chick Planet.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It got some wry chuckles from me, in particular the dialogue between Doc and Bigfoot.

Any additional comments?

Pynchon is wonderful, and I suppose I see what people mean when they call this "Pynchon-lite." It's more accessible than "Gravity's Rainbow" or "Vineland," sure, but we shouldn't confuse "inaccessibility" with "quality."

Delicious prose, most readable of Pynchon's books.

What made the experience of listening to Inherent Vice the most enjoyable?

I loved the narrator'sability to speak in character. It was funny, dramatic wonderful. He even does a great job of singing.

What did you like best about this story?

The main character, Doc, was colorful, smart, funny.

Which character – as performed by Ron McLarty – was your favorite?

I liked Doc, the gumshoe main character. What a cool guy. Knows how to fool people into thinking he's stupid while he's actually doggedly pursuing his goal.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Second-string Pynchon is still damn good

The story works through all the wry plot twists that Pynchon does so well, so the book won't be a disappointment to any fan. But, one, the idea of a doper out-sleuthing the architects of a grand conspiracy is a little too reminiscent of the Cohen Bros' "The Big Lebowski" to be completely novel; and, two, when the title is bluntly glossed toward the end of the book, it seems an odd "get it?" moment from the master of subtle allusions. But of course it's Pynchon; I'm probably the one who's missing something.

It's what you can't avoid...

This is probably the single best audiobook I’ve gotten from Audible. The narraration is exceptional, I very much wish this reader would also record Pynchon’s earlier novel Vineland. McLarty’s performance of the songs is all one could ask for, the many characters are distinctly rendered, and he simply breathes the rhythm of the prose. The story itself is Pynchon’s most accessible, relatively short and with an ideal balance of straightforward plotting offset with the characteristic comic digressions that one expects from the author. If you haven’t tried him before, this is a good place to start.

Far out, man!

Yeah, the book may have had too many trippy characters to keep straight, and the storyline was kinda allover the place, but, whatever...what's not to like about a post-60s hippie PI hanging out all over 70s LA, the Valley and up 'n down PCH? It was a most excellent - if not heavy - trip. And, don't believe the reviewers who dissed the narrator's singing...that was the best part of the trip, I really liked. Here's to more adventures with "Doc."

Bizarre, but supposed to be.

I watched the movie first (the opposite of what I typically do). The book explains a lot more and includes lots of side plots omitted from the movie, but it’s soured by ridiculously cheesy jokes that keep coming every chapter. Despite omitting all of this (save one or two lame jokes), the movie retains the “groovy,” goofy vibe the author meant to set. The single narrator does a great job at capturing the different voices of all the characters (and there are a lot), but of course the movie is better at that. So even though the movie will leave you scratching your head even more than the book will, I think I liked it better. Bottom line: go see the movie, then check out the book if you want more. I'm glad I did both.

good good good good good good

can i just say good 15 times? good good good good good good good good

Uhhh…. What?

Too long, too many characters, too Cheech and Chong, too convoluted, too hard to follow, too uhhhh, what????

A classic novel with bad narration.

As others have pointed out the narrator is just terrible. I love the story I’ve read the novel before. I wanted to listen on audible although I still live the book the narration sounded as if it was being done by a Kasey Kasem impersonator. Otherwise I love the stoned noir that plays out.

If you enjoyed The Crying of Lot 49...

If you enjoyed The Crying of Lot 49, then Inherent Vice is right up your alley. It follows the same kind of surreal yet linear structure of Pynchon's more accessible works, and, like The Crying of Lot 49, you will probably find that several passes are required to digest the novel. The best description I can give of the nature of Inherent Vice is that it is the kind of book you could imagine Hunter S. Thompson writing if he had any gift for fiction. It is an excellent piece of literature.