Thomas Pynchon

Sascha Pöhlmann (Ludwig-Maximilians Universität Munchen)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

Thomas Pynchon is one of the most important postmodern writers, and his

Gravity's Rainbow

(1973) is – arguably –

the

essential postmodern novel. While this and Pynchon's five other novels, published between 1963 and 2006, attracted critical attention and praise, and while his work continues to be a focus of academic discussion, the author himself is notoriously absent from public view, which has (wrongly) earned him the title of a recluse.

Pynchon refuses to comment on his work in print, with the rare exception of the introduction to his collection of early short stories, Slow Learner (1984); he does not give interviews, and there are only few published photos of him, the best of which date back to 1953, taken from his high school yearbook, and 1955, when he was in the Navy.

Pynchon…

5311 words

Citation: Pöhlmann, Sascha. "Thomas Pynchon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 February 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3673, accessed 19 March 2024.]

3673 Thomas Pynchon 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.