Thomas Pynchon is one of the most important postmodern writers, and his
Gravity's Rainbow(1973) is – arguably –
theessential 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…
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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 05 October 2024.]