The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Pynchon

by Inger H. Dalsgaard (Editor), Luc Herman (Editor), Brian McHale (Editor)

Overview

The most celebrated American novelist of the past half-century, an indispensable figure of postmodernism worldwide, Thomas Pynchon notoriously challenges his readers. This Companion provides tools for meeting that challenge. Comprehensive, accessible, lively, up-to-date and reliable, it approaches Pynchon's fiction from various angles, calling on the expertise of an international roster of scholars at the cutting edge of Pynchon studies. Part I covers Pynchon's fiction novel-by-novel from the 1960s to the present, including such indisputable classics as The Crying of Lot 49 and Gravity's Rainbow. Part II zooms out to give a bird's-eye-view of Pynchon's novelistic practice across his entire career. Part III surveys major topics of Pynchon's fiction: history, politics, alterity ('otherness'), and science and technology. Designed for students, scholars and fans alike, the Companion begins with a biography of the elusive author and ends with a coda on how to read Pynchon and a bibliography for further reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521173049
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/15/2011
Series:	Cambridge Companions to Literature
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	212
Sales rank:	735,991
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Dr Inger H. Dalsgaard is Associate Professor of American Studies, Department of English, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

Luc Herman is Professor of American Literature and Narrative Theory at the University of Antwerp.

Brian McHale is Distinguished Arts and Humanities Professor of English at Ohio State University.

Table of Contents

Introduction Inger H. Dalsgaard, Luc Herman and Brian McHale; Biographical note John M. Krafft; Part I. Canon: 1. Early Pynchon Luc Herman; 2. The Crying of Lot 49 and other California novels Thomas Hill Schaub; 3. Gravity's Rainbow Steven Weisenburger; 4. Mason and Dixon Kathryn Hume; 5. Against the Day Bernard Duyfhuizen; Part II. Poetics: 6. Pynchon in literary history David Cowart; 7. Pynchon's postmodernism Brian McHale; 8. Pynchon's intertexts David Seed; Part III. Issues: 9. History Amy J. Elias; 10. Politics Jeff Baker; 11. Alterity Deborah Madsen; 12. Science and technology Inger H. Dalsgaard; Coda: how to read Pynchon Hanjo Berressem.

Editorial Reviews

"Anyone interested in classic postmodern theory and and how it still defines the way innovative US fiction is read should read this book.
—Ali Chetwynd, University of Michigan

From the Publisher