IV Chapter 17 Thoughts

[alice wellintown]

IV is a satire, a comic parody, albeit a dark and romantic one, so it
makes perfect sense that Larry's use/abuse of the juice is introduced
as an element of parody. P's hysterical, over the top parody here, and
mystery and detecitice fictions are only the most obvious texts
subjected to P's antics, is best approached by considering the
narrative, that is, the unreliable postmodern (effaced if you prefer)
narrator, and then, and only then, reading the tone. The tone or
attitude of the implied author is not easy to discern, but I doubtwhat
rich romeo has said is true, that is, that the older readers, those
P's age or close to it, have some advantage as pertains to identifying
the tone. In fact, all other things being even, the younger reader of
postmodern fictions would seem to have an advantage.

On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 5:13 AM, Carvill, John <john.carvill at sap.com> wrote:
> << Remember as well that Doc being constantly stoned-a wake 'n bake type-
> ties in with his soul brother Philip Marlowe. As Raymond Chandler
> faces up to such considerations as alcoholic black-outs and simple
> mortality in "The Long Goodbye," so does Pynchon face up to some of
> the consequences of Ganja's candy-coated fog and simple mortality in
> "Inherent Vice." >>
>
> I know I'm in a minority in questioning the extent to which Doc actually is debilitated by dope usage throughout the book. But even if you assume Doc's constantly stoned, there is little similarity between him and Marlowe, in that respect. Sure, Marlowe usually carries a bottle of pretty good rye around with him, and often uses it to lubricate potential informants, but he doesn't stumble about drunk much of the time. Roger Wade, in The Long Goodbye, is an alcoholic. Wade is, to some extent, a representation of, and/or rumination on, some of Chandler's own traits. Marlowe is not an alcoholic, not really even a heavy drinker. Marlowe likes a drink, but is able to handle it.
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