"Bleeding Edge," by Thomas Pynchon

Novel, 2014

While tight by Pynchon's standards, this cracked, paranoia-driven novel straddling the attack on New York's twin towers is still a wild assault of almost too many characters, wisecracking, referencing and floating in and out of the central narrative with mysterious dynamism. If things get hard to follow, the quality of the writing, the keen descriptions of geeks, street life and catastrophes are all wonderful. This feels like Pynchon looking to be filmed. The family details are also a great touch, grounding the madness in some tenderness and domestic details. 

"Inherent Vice", directed Paul Thomas Anderson

Movie, 2014

Murky, muttering and suitably confused, confusing slow burn frenetic adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's LA private eye caper. The film's pace and its fairly hefty length draw those in who get hooked in the first place from opening scenes depicting a stoned PI, his returning lover, a massage parlour frequented by an Aryan Brotherhood gang, a nasty slick-cut nemesis policeman and some pretty sweaty interactions between and involving each of them. Possibly not destined for classic mainstream status, but a good adaptation all the same.

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