Pynchon Criticism: “V.”

But it was a neat theory, and he was in love with it. The only consolation he drew from the present chaos was that his theory managed to explain it.
—“V.”

Although not as challenging to a beginning reader as Gravity’s Rainbow or Mason & Dixon, Pynchon’s first novel, V., is still epic in scope: with over 150 characters, it sprawls across dozens of exotic locales and covers the better part of a century. Additionally, as with most of Pynchon’s work, V. is open-ended, defying traditional expectations of plot development and closure. It is therefore neither an easy book to read nor a simple one to understand, and until now, the general reader was forced to go it alone, as most Pynchon guides focus on Gravity’s Rainbow. (Though Tim Ware’s online guide to V.  has always been a terrific resource!)

J. Kerry Grant has stepped in to fill this void with A Companion to V., an attractive volume that will please both beginner and scholar alike. Author of A Companion to “The Crying of Lot 49,” Grant follows in the noble footsteps of Steven Weisenburger (with Gravity’s Rainbow) and Don Gifford (with Joyce’s Ulysses), producing a volume of annotations which both gloss unfamiliar terms as well as stimulate deeper analysis. Beginning with a short introduction, Grant points out that Pynchon’s novel exists in a state between two very different characters, the static Profane and the maniacally-directed Stencil, and that readers are cut loose between these two poles to find their own bearings. Through his introduction and the annotations themselves, Grant makes it clear that he offers no definitive interpretation—his goal is to assist readers in the production of their own meanings. It’s here that Grant’s Companion really proves its worth. While the traditional glosses are certainly helpful: summarizing chapters, translating non-English passages, explaining Naval jargon, and elaborating on arcane historical situation; the real work is done in between these student aids. Character names are dissected for potential meanings, recurring themes are discussed and elaborated, intertextual allusions are highlighted and connected to a wide body of culture and literature, and even the smallest plot points serve as seeds for a variety of possible interpretations. Grant also remains sensitive to competing ideas, and his erudition is impressive—he makes frequent references to a wide spectrum of Pynchon criticism, from out-of-print books to online discussions culled from the Pynchon List.

Though A Companion to V. will certainly frustrate any reader looking for a definitive analysis of Pynchon’s enigmatic novel, to those wishing a deeper exploration of its many ideas and themes, Grant’s book is a fertile resource rich with charming details and provocative suggestions.

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Summary & Study Guide V by Thomas Pynchon

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V. The Myth in Thomas Pynchon: Literary Essay

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