The Good: Funny, quirky, highly original, fun, philosophical, excellent diction, thematic intensity
The Bad: Convoluted plot, thematic intensity
The Basics: A unique read perfect for anyone tired of the unchallenging literary works or "popular" fiction.
Thomas Pynchon is one of those authors who writes books where it's more likely you'll get an answer to the question "Who was in it" as opposed to "What's it about." After several reads of his novels, it's easy to still be confused about what happened. In short, Pynchon writes about characters, individuals, in a style that is distinct and, oftentimes, confusing.
The Crying Of Lot 49 is one of Pynchon's more linear novel in terms of plot. Whereas his masterpiece V. or his epic Gravity's Rainbow may consume a reader with the simple act of putting the events together in a reasonable chronological order, The Crying Of Lot 49 tells a story from start to middle. It remains remarkably focused on Oedipa Maas who is charged with executing the estate of a former lover. In the estate, some confusing stamps emerge pointing to the possible existence of a phantom postal service working within the United States. Is there? Who knows, the novel ends annoyingly close to answering the question. The title of the book comes from the auctioneering term "to cry" (auction) a lot. Lot 49 is where the stamps for the underground post office may or may not be.
If you understand that the novel is about a quest to place relevancy on something, trying to bring meaning and order to the world or our experiences, it reads much quicker. That is, if you understand that the protagonist could be grasping at straws, it makes the book go quicker because you're not stopping constantly to evaluate the plot and ask yourself "is this real or not?" The major interpretive leap here is that what you're reading might be a character attempting to put order to things, which is something the reader usually does. In this case, we must question Oedipa Maas' judgment.
Pynchon's strength is clearly in his narrative style, a realistic-sounding, fast paced monologue that easily sweeps the reader away. This is fiction doing what it can at a high caliber of quality and attention to detail. In fact, perhaps the most annoying thing about reading Pynchon's works, even his relatively slowball The Crying Of Lot 49, is that he has an amazing grasp of details and he expects, demands, the full attention of the reader. The demands Pynchon places on the reader while weaving the powerful theme of the nature of reality vs. conspiracy, random vs. constructed are considerable.
More than work, Oedipa's journey into the U.S. culture of individual strangeness and paranoia, is a lot of fun. She meets some real characters and you'll enjoy meeting them too if you have some patience! Included along the way are a lecherous, pedophile husband, a band of musicians who have individual quirks and a former child actor who desires nothing more than to seduce Oedipa. Some of the best moments in the novel have nothing whatsoever to do with the quest for the truth, instead they are peripheral events that create a confused mindset for Oedipa (and the reader) that make her desire for order a much more understandable thing.
While this lacks the scope - read: LENGTH - of Gravity's Rainbow, The Crying Of Lot 49 is a complex work moved by an interesting protagonist in a world far more bizarre than most of us usually encounter.
For other works by Thomas Pynchon, please check out my reviews of:
Slow Learner
Gravity's Rainbow
Vineland
Inherent Vice
8/10
For other book reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here for a thorough listing!
© 2010, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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