The Crying of Lot 49

By: Thomas Pynchon

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Quite unexpectedly, Mrs. Oedipa Maas finds herself the executor of the estate of Pierce Inverarity, a man she used to know in a more-or-less intimate fashion. When Oedipa heads off to Southern California to sort through Pierce's affairs, she becomes ensnared in a hilarious and puzzling worldwide conspiracy.

Calling Thomas Pynchon a "virtuoso with prose", the Chicago Tribune compares his work to James Joyce's Ulysses. Pynchon, winner of the National Book Award, has shocked, enthralled, and delighted fans for more than 40 years with his satire and wit.

©1965, 1966 Thomas Pynchon (P)2005 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"The comedy crackles, the puns pop, the satire explodes." ( The New York Times)

Great Reader. However...

The reader is great, even though I’d prefer a woman to read the novel because of the main character. However, there are so many noises in the background coming from his mic.
• Dog Barking
• Routine Stomach Growling
• Long unedited pauses

Didn't Live Up to Expectations

I do not share the same opinion as those who feel this book is in the top 100 greatest novels. It is a fine novel, quirky, and enjoyable on several levels, but nothing special compared to other great novels. Perhaps it was the reading which was uninspired. I never really got into the novel and before I knew it, the reading was done.

It's quite a book

Having the audiobook definitely helps to really understand what is going on in the book.

Pretty good reading of a classic

Only gripe is that the narrator develops a slight nose whistle partway through. Otherwise a very good rendition of Pynchon’s classic novel.

Beginnings of Genius

I recently rediscovered Pynchon after a brief brush with him in collrege and am in awe of his singularly American genius. This complex, layered, immensely intellectual, wildly wacky, symbolic and ultimately spiritual novella was written in the mid 60's. Way ahead of its time, its scary clairvoyant glimpse into the culture-to-be is classic Pynchon-to-be. In "Crying" we see the genesis of genius and a completely original mind not to be missed by anyone who loves literature. I'm on my 6th reading (listening) of this book and each time I appreciate it more. I like the narration even though other reviews have been negative about it. It's a tough book to read, and I feel this narrator does it justice.

"Shall I project the world?"

Pynchon's prose is exceptionally beautiful and intelligent, his narrative world is a remarkable structure of a collective, shared projection of a counter-counter-revolutionary conception of new America, lost in technology and human disconnection, and brought back into reality only through the reinvigoration of reason, imagination and a new history of original human agency.

A Masterpiece, but not here.

Narration was challenging all the way through. I’ll need to read it again to myself in order to cleanse my mind’s pallet.

Hilarious

This feels like a study for a larger piece, as there is more or less just one plot. It is hilarious. I can't imagine anybody writing an ancient conspiracy novel after this biting story. Names of people and things are so funny, too! Vivaldi Kazoo Concerto, hahaha!

Audio version very comprehensible

If you could sum up The Crying of Lot 49 in three words, what would they be?

I have read this book twice; this audio version was more comprehensible than either of my previous readings.

What other book might you compare The Crying of Lot 49 to and why?

Inherent Vice covers much the same physical territory, if Crying can be considered to cover any real geographic location, but the newer book is more playful and less determined to take itself seriously.

Hard to find the payoff

I wish the reviewers who liked this book were more specific about what the appeal was. Yes, I know this book is a pomo classic and Pynchon is highly regarded. Still, the book comes across like the 60s head trip that I'm sure was part of the original popularity. A lot of the social commentary I am sure was so much more relevant in 1966 as well. There is still a lot about the social satire that is relevant to our times. My reluctance to be more positive is partly due to the circumstances under which I listened to this book. There are many audio books that work fine in the car. I have no trouble even with a lot of heavy non-fiction. But this book requires a lot of attention. There is so much going on and the plot lines are so ambiguous and convoluted that it's really hard to give this book the focus it deserves while driving. I am giving it the benefit of the doubt here that it actually deserves that focus. Pynchon himself seems to have had second thoughts about that. Perhaps someday I'll listen to it in a quiet corner and consider if it really adds up to something with lasting value or not.