Inherent Vice

Thomas Pynchon

Aug 2009 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Ron McLarty

About this audiobook

Part noir, part psychedelic romp, all Thomas Pynchon--Private eye Doc Sportello surfaces, occasionally, out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era

In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre that is at once exciting and accessible, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the sixties, you weren't there.

It's been a while since Doc Sportello has seen his ex- girlfriend. Suddenly she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. It's the tail end of the psychedelic sixties in L.A., and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," except that this one usually leads to trouble. Undeniably one of the most influential writers at work today, Pynchon has penned another unforgettable book.

Ratings and reviews

Double Jeopardy

About the author

Thomas Pynchon is the author of V.; The Crying of Lot 49; Gravity’s Rainbow; Slow Learner, a collection of short stories; Vineland; Mason & Dixon; Against the Day; and, most recently, Inherent Vice. He received the National Book Award for Gravity’s Rainbow in 1974.

Ron McLarty graduated from Rhode Island College in 1969, and started his theatre career shortly thereafter. A well known Broadway and TV actor, he is one of also the country’s leading audiobook narrators, having done over 100 titles, including the narration of books authored by Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Richard Russo, Elmore Leonard, Ed McBain, David Baldacci, Scott Turow, and George W. Bush’s memoir Decision Points. McLarty has also written his own books, among them the novels Traveler, The Memory of Running, and Art in America.