"The funniest book Pynchon has written." — Rolling Stone "Entertainment of a high order." - Time Part noir, part psychedelic romp, all Thomas Pynchon—private eye Doc Sportello surfaces, occasionally, out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era. In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre that is at once exciting and accessible, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the sixties, you weren't there. It's been a while since Doc Sportello has seen his ex- girlfriend. Suddenly she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. It's the tail end of the psychedelic sixties in L.A., and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," except that this one usually leads to trouble. Undeniably one of the most influential writers at work today, Pynchon has penned another unforgettable book.

Pynchon, it seems, is a lot a matter of personal taste. If you've read Pynchon before, you know that there's a distinct, kind of irreverent and slapstick but wide-ranging and all-consuming style that his writing has, and much of the fun from the books comes from how many ideas appear and how they fit together in strange ways. Inherent Vice is no exception in that regard, although this time set as a quasi-noir detective story in Southern California's hippie culture. NUBClub was split on this one depending on how much you like that style. If you enjoy it, then the investigations and tribulations of Doc Sportello as he meanders through an investigation involving a mysterious ship, drug dealing, and a wide cast of strange and fun to follow characters. The book becomes a kind of more intellectual Lebowski, with a similar sense of SoCal chill and forces working in the background, only more frenetic and more idea-laden. But that's if you liked the style. A good portion of NUBClub found the book exhausting, with just too many characters and directions to attach to. No one could argue with the style or the humor of the book, but some just thought it was too much work for that enjoyment. But those who got in to Doc's rhythm found the novel a wacky and wild quasi-detective story hitting all of Pynchon's core strengths of cryptic power structures, over the top scenes, and beautiful and setting-specific style.