Vineland

Vineland by Thomas Pynchon

It wasn't easy for me to read Vineland through.  I couldn't immerse myself in the world of Vineland as well as V., The Crying of Lot 49 and others.

I suspected the translation version might be the cause of trouble.  The Japanese translator was a strong devotee of Thomas Pynchon.  His notes were full of the praise of rhetoric Thomas Pynchon spun.  I think readers have a right of finding out the riddle by themselves and solving.  The translation's notes were so intrusive that imagination of readers is disturbed.

Anyway, Vineland doesn't have distressed feeling like other books of Pynchon.  The first half is comical like a cartoon.  It's fun and exciting.  But the second half is explanatory going for the end of story.  Is that Thomas Pynchon?  My impression of Thomas Pynchon is that the story goes speedily with unexpected imagination and sly description without changing pitch.

Vineland was published after 17 years when Gravity's Rainbow was published.  17 years is long time.  It's natural to change.  I'm afraid a little bit to read Mason & Dixon.

Vineland Thomas Pynchon Little Brown 1990-01 Sales Rank : 269920 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools