When it comes to Thomas Pynchon, there isn't being in the know and being out of it. There's just the legend of the man/etherreal being himself, and the literature that follows in his wake.
Thomas Pynchon is an author originating in New York... Allegedly. He's published several works intermittently over the past fifty years, the most prominent of which is undoubtedly his magnum opus Gravity's Rainbow, a 900-page, 300,000 word doorstopping behemoth of a novel that spat in the face of literary convention and, in doing so, is now regarded as one of the greatest novels ever written since World War II. But when it comes to the author himself, Pynchon is nowhere to be found. Since 1963 he has successfully evaded the world's press, and as a result there is little to no evidence - aside from his works and the odd youthful picture/paparazzi shot - that he even exists. Some have even suggested that Pynchon may be a group of people writing under a pseudonym, as opposed to a single man.
Speculation aside, in recent years Pynchon has been considered by many as having scaled down the scope of his works, much in the same fashion as fellow New Yorker Don Delillo. His two most recent novels, Inherent Vice and Bleeding Edge, still utilise a vast array of characters and motifs in their execution, ones that would in fact send most other authors reeling in confusion, but they still haven't matched up to what could be considered as Pynchon's golden age.
One of the most shocking revelations that recently came forward concerning the author was that his novel, Inherent Vice is soon to be adapted by none another than Paul Thomas Anderson himself, director and writer of There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights and The Master, as well as several other works of outstanding cinema. This is indeed an important event; it's the first occasion on which a Pynchon novel will be adapted for the screen, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better person to pull that off than Anderson. There are a multitude of reasons as to why optimism is a given when it comes to this project.
1. Pynchon himself has (allegedly) approved the script.
This is a rumour that's been circulating for months, and it's just as likely to be credible as not. Pynchon and Anderson have been in contact and Pynchon himself has read the script and given it his blessing. As an aged and seasoned veteran (he celebrated this 76th birthday this year) Pynchon is unlikely to pass on giving his opinion on the script that will provide the basis for his first cinematic adaptation, and if the author himself approves the script you can be pretty sure that it's of a high quality.
2. Joaquin Phoenix will be portraying the lead.
As previously mentioned, Inherent Vice is, at it's heart, a detective story. It's protagonist, Larry 'Doc' Sportello, is a withered pothead, and he'll be portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, teaming him up on a second consectutive occasion with Anderson after 2012s The Master. Phoenix is renowned for immersing himself in the roles that he takes on, and since production ended earlier this year footage from an extra on the set has emerged of Phoenix in full-Sportello-attire. And it just so happens to be here...
3. Anderson is seemingly immune to failure.
Since Boogie Nights Anderson has repeatedly proved himself to be an exceptional writer/director. His works often have a tendency to examine as well as present, rather than simply the former, and that's what Inherent Vice is all about. It's Pynchon's tribute to 60s and 70s Los Angeles, and all the hedonistic activity that came with it. Anderson is more than adept at examining specific periods in time, as we've already seen his great takes on 1950s post-war America and the turn of the century oil-boom.
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