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Pynchon’s Sound of Music by Christian Hänggi

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As a music fan, music collector and composer, I am always interested in finding musical references in works of fiction. American author Thomas Pynchon is one of my favourite writers and over the course of his work there are countless references to music.

At one point in time, I thought that it might be interesting to re-read his books and make note of the various musical references just for my own amusement. Luckily, I no longer have to consider this arduous task as author Christian Hänggi has now done all of the heavy lifting. And what a load it is!

Over the course of Pynchon’s Sound of Music, Hänggi has spotted and identified hundreds of musical mentions which encompass real works by real people, fictitious works by real people and fictitious songs and artists which have sprung from the mind of the author.

Since 1963 when Thomas Pynchon published his first book, V., he has only issued a total of eight novels and one collection of short stories. For his research on his subject, Hänggi has also included other uncollected short works which he considers as a tenth book. So, the task would not appear to be quite as daunting as considering the endless oeuvre as someone like Stephen King. But, a daunting task it was, taking some four and a half years to collate.

During the course of his research, countless areas were explored. These include the context in which music is mentioned, the mode in which it is presented (live, a recording etc…), its part in progressing the story-line etc…

He also catalogues the various instruments which play a part in the stories such as saxophone, guitar, accordion, ukulele, harmonica, kazoo etc… This includes the number of references in total as well as in each book or story.

The first three sections of the book: The Job of Sorting It All Out, Lessons in Organology and The Sounds of Societies to Come serve to open up the many worlds of Pynchon and to connect the dots within the various references to music.

In addition to real-world references to artists such as Pat Boone or Jimi Hendrix, Pynchon would introduce his own world of performers such as Sick Dick and the Volkswagens or the Paranoids in The Crying of Lot 49. But, there are also fictitious works by real people such as Vivaldi’s Kazoo Concerto.

Pynchon’s work is also scattered with songs from the author’s own imagination. From “Have a Banana” in Gravity’s Rainbow to “Polecat in the Parlor” in Mason & Dixon, the author carries the story with his own take on a musical moment.

In the chapter Analysing the Pynchon Playlist, numbers have been crunched to produce graphs and spreadsheets which highlight various details across the spectrum. The types and frequency of references are put under the microscope as well as detailing their distribution throughout the works.

In the end, the real icing on the cake is The Pynchon Playlist. This is the section in which each book is taken and had each of its musical references noted. This includes specific references to songs, composers and performers.

So, if this particular aspect of Thomas Pynchon’s work is of specific interest to you, you can stop googling the multiple sources scattered all over the internet. Pretty well everything that you will want to know is contained within the covers of this exhaustive volume. Sit back and soak it all in.

Thomas Pynchon: The Demon in the Text by Albert Rolls

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Thomas Pynchon: The Demon in the Text by Albert Rolls (Edward Everett Root, 2019)

For many readers, the name Thomas Pynchon signifies a special place in the world of fiction writing. Arguably one of the finest post-WWII writers to come out of the USA, Pynchon has only published eight novels and one collection of early short stories since his debut novel V. was issued in 1963.

His thick and densely packed 1973 tome Gravity’s Rainbow has been synonymous with some of the most demanding reading ever to grace the shelves of bookshops and libraries. However, little is known about the man behind the text. Over the past sixty years, Pynchon has managed to keep his private life private.

Often referred to as a reclusive figure, only a few early photographs have ever made their way into the public realm. He has never courted publicity or even granted an interview. This has made him a near mythical figure in the literary world.

With his new book, Albert Rolls has taken on the task of attempting to peel away some of the layers of the author’s writings to create a picture of his activities and thought processes. Through this means, he hoped to reveal the depth and breadth of a creative and complex literary mind.

Since Pynchon’s friends are as guarded about the author’s privacy as Pynchon himself, trying to assemble an accurate picture of his life via them is not a practical solution. They are apparently quick to perpetuate stories which are likely fiction, such as the one in which Pynchon once sold vacuum cleaners in Guadalajara.

Instead, Rolls has to rely on the various written works that Pynchon has released to the public over the years. He also examines some lesser known works such as his aborted play Minstrel Island as well as his earliest writings from his high school days.

This process can prove to be as challenging as playing connect-the-dots where the dots are located on a continuously shifting three dimensional plane. Or perhaps peering into a bag full of snakes and attempting to deduce which head belongs to which tail. Luckily, Rolls is up for the challenge.

Over the course of three lengthy essays, he dissects Pynchon’s writings and examines the author’s point of view on culture, sociology, relationships and politics. He manages this in a manner which is both well-informed and enthusiastic.

He examines the relationship between the perceptions of Tom Pynchon and Thomas Pynchon. He delineates between areas which are Pynchonian and Pynchonesque. It is a tapestry woven from the intersection of the genesis of ideas to the interplay of high and low-brow presentation.

In the end, it is a thought-provoking portrait of a man whose work has served to enrich the minds of those who have chosen to delve into his unique world of words.