[Carvill John]

> Rich asks:

>> then why read Inherent Vice?

> More than once? Beats me.

> -Monte


At this late stage, with Pynchon having recently published 'Against the Day' - one of his densest, most challenging works, and whatever else you might think of it surely one which proves beyond doubt that there's been no decline in his abilities as a writer - then to *not* want to read 'Inherent Vice' more than once would be more puzzling than wanting to do so.


Is IV top-drawer Pynchon? No. Does it read like a failed attempt at being top-drawer Pynchon? No.


Whether you enjoyed it or not, surely by dint of your presence on this forum, your interest level in Pynchon per se is such that you basically *need* to read any and all of his books more than once?