V [Mass Market Paperback]

Thomas Pynchon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1984

Winner of the coveted William Faulkner Foundation First Novel Award in 1963, V. remains a popular literary classic by one of America's great modernists.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Having just been released from the Navy, Benny Profane is content to lead a slothful existence with his friends, where the only real ambition is to perfect the art of "schlemihlhood," or being a dupe, and where "responsibility" is a dirty word. Among his pals--called the Whole Sick Crew--is Slab, an artist who can't seem to paint anything other than cheese danishes. But Profane's life changes dramatically when he befriends Stencil, an active ambitious young man with an intriguing mission--to find out the identity of a woman named V., who knew Stencil's father during the war, but who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Filled with wild humor, inventive wordplay and a darkly imaginative power." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"This work may well stand as one of the very best works of the century." -- Atlantic Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam (June 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553246860
• ISBN-13: 978-0553246865
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,930,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Pynchon was born in 1937. His books include The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland, and Mason & Dixon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enigma Wrapped Up In A Letter, September 22, 2002

By 

Scott Esposito "Readsalot" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: V. (Perennial Classics) (Paperback)

Although not quite unique, Thomas Pynchon's approach to narration is extremely unusual. Often he seems to drone on in endless detail. At times his books read like a description of a vaudeville slapstick routine. Commonly, narrative structure, presumably at the heart of most novels, seems abandoned, or even purposely ignored. The upshot of this is that Thomas Pynchon's novels are strange, and decidedly not for everyone.

Of course the flip side is that for those who find Pynchon to their liking he is a rare treat, an intriguing enigma that you simply cannot stop talking about. Such is the case with V., a novel that over the years has shown a propensity to spark almost endless debate. Ostensibly it is the story of two men, Stencil and Benny Profane. Benny spends the greater part of the novel tramping around New York City with his friends, the Whole Sick Crew, generally not doing much of anything except procrastinating and running through various jobs and friends. Stencil spends most of the novel a quest of sorts, using a unique technique to track down details about an elusive and mysterious woman known only as V.

It has been noted that it is a technique of Pynchon's to surround the reader in layer after layer of detail and leave her to ferret out some sense; V. is certainly in keeping with that tradition. Wrapped up in this book is enough social critique, pop culture, historical theory, hilarious humor, and prediction of the future to make the reader's head spin like the roulette wheel at a casino. Rather than a shortcoming, this overwhelming downpour of data is one of the best parts of V., as there is just enough cohesion among the disparate elements that certain associations, even theories, can be developed. But are the associations really there or just in the reader's head? That is one of the questions Pynchon aches to ask.

Also central to V. is the idea of mechanization and routinization. Several characters in V. (including V herself) become more and more mechanized as time passes. Further, several elements of V. suggest the mechanization of society. Linked to this idea of mechanization is that of routinization, and Pynchon seems to say that the mechanization of modern life has helped create a society that is locked in routine. This theme of routinazation is found in both large and small instances. On the small side is Benny Profane (among others) who is continually unable to break out of the boundaries he has set on his life. ...

I feel my review of V. would not be complete without a few words about Pynchon's amazing breadth of knowledge. Diverse places such as New York City, Malta, Paris, and Africa are made the setting for several of the book's scenes and these locations are discussed with such authority, knowledge, and familiarity that the reader is convinced that Pynchon must have spent five years living in each. Additionally Pynchon integrates a great deal of information into the plot of V. A sampling of such information would include: explicit procedures for a nosejob, World War I fighter pilots, naval vessels, jazz musicians, Machiavelli, modern art, classical art, automobile safety tests, and the Holy Bible. Even at the tender age of 24 Pynchon had filled his head with enough information to inscribe nearly each of the 500 pages of V. with a certain subtext or reference.

Rather than review V. by presenting a plot summary I have tried to express a few of the ideas Pynchon works with. I have done this because V. thrives on non-linearity and a plot summary would be pointless and would do little to give a potential reader a true feel for what V. might be like. Instead I have chosen a few elements that I feel are at the heart of V., and have discussed them. For those who enjoy immersing themselves in a book and look forward to thorough discussions when they are done there are few books I can recommend above V. But for those who prefer more traditional, even formulaic, books I should warn that V., while in my opinion excellent, may not be to their liking. Despite these admonitions I would recommend this book to as many people as possible, as I do believe that everyone should experience V. This fine book may be a difficult taste to acquire, but one well worth the effort.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History, Technology and Alligators--V. is one great book!, May 1, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: V. (Paperback)

Thomas Pynchon's first book V. is one of the great books of the last 50 years. It is a book that is filled with symbol and meaning and portent. At the simplest level it is a story about Benny Profane, a poor "schlemil" whose pathetic life is filled with almost surreal adventures that lead him to gangs and love and alligators in the sewers! But Benny's adventures become inexplicablyintertwined with those of Stencil and the mysterious V. And therein lies the great challenge and great pleasure of Pynchon. There is a search to discover meaning and perhaps to discover one's own history. Pynchon's tale leads back to the diplomatic intrique preceding World War I and somehow connects us with the misadventures of Benny. And all the while, like some great mystery thriller in reverse, the deeper one gets into V., the more information that is revealed, the more complex the mystery becomes. Indeed, the thrill of Pynchon is to become ensnared in that mystery and try to find meaning in that complex and interconnected web. Ultimately, perhaps, like all the great questions in life, the question of the meaning of who V. is and the meaning of the book itself may never be answer. But the power of this novel is that it draws you in to consider that mystery. The book, somehow, finds connections between the great historical events of the beginning of this century and several generations of characters who themselves are all interconnected and the ever-changing technology of this century. Is V. a mysterious woman, a cause of the wars of this century or the essential meaninglessness of modern society? Read V. and discover that answer for yourself!

38 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, very funny novel, September 17, 2005

By 

Art B in Nor Cal "Art B" (Marin County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: V. (Perennial Classics) (Paperback)

Must break into the SERIOUS debate about this books merit by interjecting that this is, first and foremost, a very funny book. Just hilarious, on whatever level you prefer to read it at. Benny Profane indeed! I was an economics major, not a lit major, that probably helps me enjoy it, as I can readily choose to skip the "layers of meaning" that apparently must be front and forward to the literary types here. Perhaps that is why I enjoyed it so much.

Okay, not for Stephen King fans, certainly not for Danielle Steele fans, you do need the basic triple digit IQ to get past page 30. But you do not have to search for themes and meaning to enjoy this fine read, I swear. Not as accessible as Vineland, perhaps, but a lot easier reading than Gravities Rainbow, or the spotty and difficult Mason &Dixon. In V, the young Pynchon shows his early genius and wit.

Confession: I have not actually read this book in about 8 years, that was my third reading, but I suspect that if it wasn't dated in 1997, after being written in 1960, it isn't dated now.