Thomas Pynchon in Context guides students, scholars and other readers through the global scope and prolific imagination of Pynchon's challenging, canonical work, providing the most up-to-date and authoritative scholarly analyses of his writing. This book is divided into three parts. The first, 'Times and Places', sets out the history and geographical contexts both for the setting of Pynchon's novels and his own life. The second, 'Culture, Politics and Society', examines twenty important and recurring themes which most clearly define Pynchon's writing - ranging from ideas in philosophy and the sciences to humor and pop culture. The final part, 'Approaches and Readings', outlines and assesses ways to read and understand Pynchon. Consisting of Forty-four essays written by some of the world's leading scholars, this volume outlines the most important contexts for understanding Pynchon's writing and helps readers interpret and reference his literary work.
Author(s): Inger H. Dalsgaard
Series: Literature In Context
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 410
City: United States
Tags: English Literature, United States
Chronology John M. Krafft
Introduction Inger H. Dalsgaard
Part I. Times and Places: 1. Biography John M. Krafft
2. Letters, manuscripts and juvenilia Albert Rolls
3. Nonfiction Katie Muth
4. East Coast Christopher Leise
5. West Coast Scott McClintock and John Miller
6. Europe and Asia J. Paul Narkunas
7. Africa and Latin America Michael Harris
8. Geographies and mapping Sascha Poehlmann
9. Eighteenth century Elizabeth Jane Wall Hinds
10. Nineteenth century Paolo Simonetti
11. Twentieth century Steven Weisenburger
12. Twenty-first century Celia Wallhead
13. History and metahistory David Cowart
Part II. Culture, Politics and Society: 14. Family Mark W. Rohland
15. Sex and gender Ali Chetwynd and Georgios Maragos
16. Humor Doug Haynes
17. Pop culture Eric Sandberg
18. Music and sound Justin St Clair
19. Film and TV John Dugdale
20. Real estate and the Internet Inger H. Dalsgaard
21. Politics and counterculture Joanna Freer
22. Drugs and hippies Umberto Rossi
23. Ecology and the environment Christopher K. Coffman
24. Capitalism and class Jeffrey Severs
25. War and power Dale Carter
26. Conspiracy and paranoia Samuel Chase Coale
27. Terror and anarchy James Gourley
28. Science Gilles Chamerois
29. Mathematics Nina Engelhardt
30. Time and relativity Simon de Bourcier
31. Philosophy Martin Paul Eve
32. Religion and spirituality Richard Moss
33. Death and afterlife Tiina Kakela
Part III. Approaches and Readings: 34. Narratology Luc Herman
35. Genre Zofia Kolbuszewska
36. Postmodernism Brian McHale
37. Ambiguity Deborah L. Madsen
38. Realities Kathryn Hume
39. Material readings Tore Rye Andersen
40. Digital readings Joseph Tabbi
41. Internet resources Michel Ryckx and Tim Ware
42. Fans David Kipen
43. Book reviews and reception Douglas Keesey
44. Critical literature review Hanjo Berressem.