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)

Fun Pynchon, don't be afraid

This is a rather un-Pynchon-like Pynchon, but very good. 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. Think Big Lebowski crossed with a noir-ish mystery, a little Chinatown, a little Big Sleep..etc. 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. There are plenty of allusions and puns and word plays, but again not for the most part obtrusive. 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. I found myself getting nostalgic with all the late 60's pop-culture references to movies and television shows and music of the time. Gravity's Rainbow is another kettle of fish entirely. 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.

Big Lebowski-esque with a great narrator

It's so rare to find a narrator who sings. I loved Ron McLarty's narration on this one. The story itself was complex and engaging without being too dense. It took me deeper than the usual detective story, in a very satisfying way. It didn't inspire me to download more Pynchon right away, but even though it didn't go on my priority wish list I'll definitely listen to more Pynchon and McLarty in the future.

A serious comic mystery. Wait for the movie?

This book is hard to classify. You might call it a comic mystery, but I didn't find it all that funny. It does accurately reflect a certain time (late 1960's) and place (Southern California beach towns) and the business and brutal side of the drug culture. Various characters, including the PI, "Doc" Sportello, reminded me of an amalgam of "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers," comic book characters from the early 1970's. At one point, Doc recites their favorite line: "Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope." They had no ambition other than to smoke dope and try psychedelic drugs (other than heroin), a little like Doc. He appears to be smart but views the world through a continual marijuana haze. It gets tiresome after a while. There are too many characters and side detours, at least for me, who only listens in the car while commuting or shopping. His dialog with the "honest cop," Bigfoot Bjornsen, contrasts their different life styles and philosophies, but eventually, it too seems to grow stale. One does sense a mutual respect.

The narrator does a pretty good job handling the myriad challenges of the book, but sometimes, I couldn't distinguish a character by his/her voice. Altogether, a mixed bag.

I gather a film of the same name will be released in 2014, starring Joaquin Phoenix as "Doc." It'll no doubt be simplified and easier to understand. It'll be interesting to see whether I will like it better than the audiobook.

Roll up. Detect. Smoke. Detect. Repeat

The story was like Ernest Hemingway meets Tom Wolfe. By that, I do not mean wistful prose. Just imagine if Hemingway substituted drinking wine for smoking pot. Boom. Inherent vice. It kept me going for most of it, but had a fairly disappointing close.

Pynchon would be proud

I recently bought the audible version and must say this is the best way to experience Thomas Pynchon's "Inherent Vice". I've seen the movie 3 times and read the book on my own before this. The narrator does an amazing job, especially when reading for Doc. Though the best part about his narration is that he can sing the songs in the book. For Pynchon newcomers there are many nonexistent songs that are written in the book that as a reader it's tough to gauge what they would sound like. I'm proud to say the narrator here knows how to sing them. As for the book itself, this is a great intro to Pynchon and a testament to the 1960s and early 70's in California. I highly suggest visiting the Thomas Pynchon Wiki and reading thru the annotations as you read the book. There are a lot of references in this book to pop culture of the time and it's easy to miss a lot if you didn't grow up in the era.

Great read, so-so audiobook

Hilarious book, although the audiobook version leaves a lot to be desired. The narrator uses a similar voice for many of the characters who are not Doc, making it sometimes hard to tell who is speaking. The pacing also feels a little off. Transitions between chapters seem sudden and too fast - maybe an issue with the editing? Overall a decent listen, but the audiobook is a cut below the quality of the material.

Soon to be a major motion picture

If you're square, this'll be a lark. If you aren't? Let's say we've got some things to digest.

Cool and What The Fuck?

Any additional comments?

Awesome and what the fuck is going on? And Really cool and weird and I'm confused, but whatever it's cool.

A great book, and a great audio book

I loved this book: it kept me really engaged the whole time, it made me think, and it made me laugh out loud a few times. The narrator's voices fit the characters exactly.

A lot of fun

What did you love best about Inherent Vice?

I went into this expecting the Pynchon of V or at least Vineland, but it's really something different. I still see some Postmodern echoes -- and for me, with Pynchon, that means a sense that there is a way to make sense of everything but it's ever-changing -- but they aren't central. Instead, think of this book as Stoner Hard-Boiled. It's an almost conventional noir novel except that our protagonist is often stoned and always trying to be mellow. It may not be Pynchon at his best, but it takes enormous skill to pull this off. There are some loose ends, but that's part of the genre and it makes room for some of the classic Pynchon questions to seep in.

What does Ron McLarty bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

McLarty is great almost all of the time. His voices lend real color to the book, especially the contrast between the "Flatlander" types like BIgfoot and the stoners like Doc. There are a few places where he loses the difference, though. Doc will start to sound straight when he's conversing with someone who's an even bigger stoner. It's still great work, but McLarty does falter in some of those spots.