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Vineland

By Thomas Pynchon
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Vineland, Thomas Pynchon weaves a tale set in 1980s California, where a reclusive former film director is sought by a government agent from his past. As the narrative unfolds, it delves into the intertwining lives of characters caught in a mesh of political landscapes, personal freedoms, and the remnants of 1960s counterculture. The book mixes humour and paranoia in exploring themes of family bonds and governmental control.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by stories that blend humour with social critique, set against a backdrop of political intrigue and cultural upheaval. With its satirical edge and vividly drawn characters, it offers a compelling exploration of American society in the late 20th century. Fans of intricate narratives that weave crime and conspiracy with a touch of the surreal will likely find this book captivating.

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Vineland is vintage Pynchon, full of quasi-allegorical characters, elaborate unresolved subplots, corny songs ("Floozy with an Uzi"), movie spoofs (Pee-wee Herman in The Robert Musil Story), and illicit sex (including a macho variation on the infamous sportscar scene in V.).

'Exhilarating and wretchedly funny. The most important and mysterious writer of his generation' - Time

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'Exhilarating and wretchedly funny. The most important and mysterious writer of his generation' - Time

Vineland, a zone of blessed anarchy in northern California, is the last refuge of hippiedom, a culture devastated by the sobriety epidemic, Reaganomics, and the Tube. Here, in an Orwellian 1984, Zoyd Wheeler and his daughter Prairie search for Prairie's long-lost mother, a Sixties radical who ran off with a narc.

Vineland is vintage Pynchon, full of quasi-allegorical characters, elaborate unresolved subplots, corny songs (Floozy with an Uzi), movie spoofs (Pee-wee Herman in The Robert Musil Story), and illicit sex (including a macho variation on the infamous sportscar scene in V.).

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Vineland by Thomas Pynchon is regarded as a significant political novel that delves into America's socio-political landscape and its impacts on youth. Critics praise it for its humour, inventive storytelling, and depth, with some highlighting its importance in reflecting the transition out of the 1980s. Pynchon's mastery of highbrow conspiracy thrillers and descriptive prowess has been lauded, making it a definitive read with clever writing and well-crafted characters.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780749391416

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 May 1992

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 27.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 199.0mm

Weight: 282g

Pages: 400

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About the Author

Thomas Pynchon is the author of V., The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, Slow Learner, a collection of short stories, Mason and Dixon, Against the Day and Inherent Vice. He received the National Book Award for Gravity's Rainbow in 1974.

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