Thomas Pynchon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Pynchon
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Pynchon in 1953 yearbook image
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| Born | Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. May 8, 1937 Glen Cove, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Cornell University (BA) |
| Period | c. 1959–present |
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| Spouse |
Melanie Jackson
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| Children | 1 |
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Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. (born May 8, 1937) is a famous American novelist. He is known for writing long and detailed books. His stories often mix history, music, science, and math. Pynchon won the 1973 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction for his novel Gravity's Rainbow. Many people consider him one of the greatest American novelists.
Pynchon grew up on Long Island. He served in the United States Navy for two years. Later, he earned an English degree from Cornell University. He started writing short stories in the late 1950s. Then he wrote his most famous novels: V. (1963), The Crying of Lot 49 (1966), and Gravity's Rainbow (1973). His 2009 book Inherent Vice was even made into a movie in 2014. Pynchon likes to keep his life private. Few photos of him exist, and he avoids the media. His most recent novel, Bleeding Edge, came out in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Thomas Pynchon was born on May 8, 1937, in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York. He was one of three children. His father, Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr., was an engineer. His mother, Katherine Frances Bennett, was a nurse.
Pynchon's family has a long history in America. His ancestor, William Pynchon, came to America in 1630. He founded Springfield, Massachusetts. Pynchon's family background has sometimes inspired his stories.
Pynchon was a very good reader and writer from a young age. He may have skipped two grades before high school. He went to Oyster Bay High School in Oyster Bay. There, he was named "student of the year." He also wrote short stories for his school newspaper. These early writings already showed some of the unique ideas he would use later, like funny names and a sense of mystery.
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Thomas Pynchon
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Pynchon c. 1955
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| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Service years | 1955–1957 |
| Service number | 4881936 |
Pynchon finished high school in 1953 when he was 16. That fall, he started studying engineering physics at Cornell University. After his second year, he joined the U.S. Navy. He trained to be an electrician. In 1956, he was on the destroyer USS Hank in the Mediterranean Sea during the Suez Crisis.
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In 1957, he went back to Cornell to study English. His first published story, "The Small Rain," came out in 1959. Many of his later stories were inspired by his time in the Navy. While at Cornell, Pynchon became friends with other writers like Richard Fariña. He also reportedly attended lectures by the famous author Vladimir Nabokov. Pynchon graduated from Cornell in 1959.
Writing Career
Early Novels
V. (1963)
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After college, Pynchon started working on his first novel, V.. From 1960 to 1962, he worked as a technical writer at Boeing in Seattle. He wrote safety articles for a missile program. His time at Boeing influenced his descriptions of the "Yoyodyne" company in his books. His knowledge of physics and technical writing also helped him write Gravity's Rainbow.
V. won an award for best first novel. It was also a finalist for the National Book Award. Reviewers praised it as a brilliant and exciting first book. After leaving Boeing, Pynchon lived in New York and Mexico. He then moved to California, where he wrote Gravity's Rainbow.
The Crying of Lot 49 (1966)
Pynchon's second novel, The Crying of Lot 49, was published in 1966. It is shorter and easier to follow than his other books. The story is about a woman named Oedipa Maas who uncovers a secret, ancient mail service called "The Tristero." The book is full of strange connections and bizarre discoveries.
The Crying of Lot 49 also includes many references to science, technology, and pop culture. For example, it mentions a teenage band that sings with British accents. Despite Pynchon's own doubts about the book, it received good reviews. It was even listed as one of the 100 best English-language novels by Time magazine.
Gravity's Rainbow (1973)
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Pynchon's most famous novel is his third, Gravity's Rainbow, published in 1973. It is a very complex and detailed story. It explores many of the ideas from his earlier works, like paranoia, conspiracies, and entropy. Many people compare its artistic value to famous books like James Joyce's Ulysses. Some experts call it the greatest American novel written after World War II.
Most of Gravity's Rainbow takes place in Europe during the final months of World War II. The story is told from the perspective of people living through that time. The book is like an encyclopedia, covering topics from psychology and chemistry to music and film. Pynchon worked on this novel for many years while living in California and Mexico City.
Gravity's Rainbow won the 1974 National Book Award. The Pulitzer Prize jury also recommended it for an award, but the Pulitzer board disagreed. They called the novel "unreadable." So, no Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was given that year.
Later Novels
Vineland (1990)
Pynchon's fourth novel, Vineland, came out in 1990. Some fans and critics were not as impressed with it. However, author Salman Rushdie gave it a positive review. He called it "free-flowing and light and funny."
The novel is set in California in the 1980s and 1960s. It tells the story of an FBI agent and a radical filmmaker. It talks about the ongoing struggle between strict rules and community living, but with Pynchon's usual humor.
Mason & Dixon (1997)
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Mason & Dixon was published in 1997. This novel is a long, detailed story about the lives of English astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon. They were the ones who drew the famous Mason–Dixon line in America. The book includes appearances by historical figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. It even features a talking dog!
Many critics felt this book was a return to Pynchon's best writing. One reviewer called it "a book of heart and fire and genius." Another said that Mason and Dixon were Pynchon's most human characters.
Against the Day (2006)
Rumors about Pynchon's next novel, Against the Day, circulated for years. In 2006, the book was announced with a description written by Pynchon himself. He said it would cover the period between the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the years after World War I. The story would travel to many places around the world. Pynchon also mentioned that it would show a time of "unrestrained corporate greed" and "evil intent in high places."
Against the Day was released on November 21, 2006. It is a very long book, over 1,000 pages. It mixes different types of popular fiction from that era. Critics had mixed reactions, with some calling it brilliant but exhausting.
Inherent Vice (2009)
Inherent Vice was published in August 2009. A short summary and a part of the novel were printed in Penguin Press's catalog. Penguin Books also released a promotional video for the book. The voiceover in the video was done by Pynchon himself.
In 2014, the novel was made into a film of the same name. It was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Bleeding Edge (2013)
Pynchon's most recent novel, Bleeding Edge, came out on September 17, 2013. The story takes place in Manhattan's Silicon Alley. This is the time between the end of the dot-com boom and the events of September 11. The novel received positive reviews.
Writing Style and Themes
Pynchon often uses different writing styles in his books. For example, Mason & Dixon is written in a way that sounds like books from the 1700s. It uses old spellings and complex sentences. However, it also includes jokes and modern references. Pynchon's writing is often described as postmodern. This means it plays with traditional storytelling rules.
Pynchon's novels often explore big questions. They ask if the world is controlled by secret plans or if things just happen by chance. Do patterns exist, or is everything random? His books also show a love for "low culture," like comic books, cartoons, and pulp fiction. This mixes everyday things with deep ideas.
Music is also a big part of Pynchon's work. He often mentions jazz and rock and roll. His books include funny song lyrics and fake musical numbers. He even wrote notes for a Spike Jones album and for the band Lotion.
Pynchon's stories also dig into psychology, sociology, mathematics, and science. One of his early stories, "Entropy," used the idea of entropy as a theme. Another story, "The Secret Integration," explored the idea of racial integration through the eyes of young boys.
Influence and Legacy
Pynchon's novels often refer to other writers and thinkers. He has mentioned being influenced by T. S. Eliot and the Beat Generation writers like Jack Kerouac. He also learned from jazz and rock and roll music.
Many writers have said that Pynchon's work influenced them. These include David Foster Wallace, Salman Rushdie, and William Gibson. Because of his influence on Gibson and others, Pynchon is seen as one of the creators of cyberpunk fiction. Some people even call Gravity's Rainbow the "Old Testament" of cyberpunk.
An asteroid, 152319, is named after Pynchon.
Private Life and Media Attention
Very little is known about Thomas Pynchon's personal life. He has carefully avoided talking to reporters for over 50 years. Only a few photos of him exist, mostly from his school days. His exact location has often been a mystery.
In 1963, a review of V. called Pynchon a "recluse." This label has stuck with him. His choice to stay out of the public eye has led to many rumors and strange stories.
1970s and 1980s
After Gravity's Rainbow became famous, people wanted to know more about Pynchon. At the 1974 National Book Awards, a comedian named Irwin Corey accepted the award for Pynchon. Many people thought Corey was Pynchon himself, which added to the confusion.
A friend from Cornell, Jules Siegel, wrote an article about Pynchon. Siegel said Pynchon was called "Tom" at Cornell. He also said Pynchon attended some of Vladimir Nabokov's lectures. Pynchon once told Siegel, "Every weirdo in the world is on my wavelength."
1990s
Pynchon prefers not to be famous and wants his books to speak for themselves. In 1990, he married his literary agent, Melanie Jackson. They had a son, Jackson, in 1991. When it became known that Pynchon lived in New York City, some reporters tried to find him.
Before his book Mason & Dixon came out in 1997, a CNN camera crew filmed him in Manhattan. Pynchon was upset and asked CNN not to identify him. He said, "Let me be unambiguous. I prefer not to be photographed." He also said that "recluse" is just a word journalists use for people who don't like to talk to them.
Pynchon also appeared on NBC's The John Larroquette Show. He reportedly contacted the show's producers to offer suggestions. He even insisted that his cartoon character in the show wear a Roky Erickson T-shirt. This led to more sales of Erickson's music. Pynchon also wrote notes for the band Lotion's album.
Because he is so private, many strange rumors have spread about Pynchon. Some people even thought he was the Unabomber. However, these rumors were proven false. In 1998, over 120 letters Pynchon wrote to his agent were given to a library. At Pynchon's request, these letters will remain sealed until after his death.
2000s
Pynchon made two cartoon appearances on The Simpsons in 2004. He played himself, with a paper bag over his head. He gave funny quotes for a book and made jokes using the titles of his novels. He did this because his son was a big fan of the show.
In 2006, Pynchon wrote a letter defending author Ian McEwan against claims of plagiarism. He explained that writers of historical fiction often use details from research. He said finding a detail that can be used in a story is not wrong.
2010s
In 2012, Pynchon's novels became available as e-books. This was a big change, as he had resisted digital formats for a long time. The publisher said the books' length and complex layouts made them hard to convert.
In 2013, his son, Jackson Pynchon, graduated from Columbia University. In 2014, actor Josh Brolin said that Pynchon had a small role in the Inherent Vice film. Many fans tried to find him in the movie, but it was never confirmed.
In 2018, Pynchon was photographed near his apartment in New York. He was voting with his son. This photo was said to be the first one of him in many years.
2020s
In December 2022, the Huntington Library announced that it had received Pynchon's literary archive. This includes drafts of his novels, notes, and letters.
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