V by Thomas Pynchon

[Anonymous No.8953404]

I just finished this.

Very interesting seeing the differences between this and The Crying of Lot 49. I found it a lot less funny and also a lot more disturbing at certain parts.

Overall though I do think I liked it more than The Crying of Lot 49. It was certainly much more moving.

Some questions I was left with at end were

Was V the bad priest? (I went back and re-read and am convinced that she was)

Was she the spirit of Valletta?

What is the relevance of Eigenvalue and Schoenmaker's views on plastic surgery and the teeth in relation to the way V replaces her body parts?

How does her replacing her body parts relate to decadence?

[Anonymous No.8953448]

>>8953404
>he thinks V is a specific person

[Anonymous No.8953471]

>>8953448
Strictly speaking she's definitely a specific person. Sidney stencil certainly has a relationship with a woman that he refers to as V in the letter that he sent to Herbert.

Of course though, I am aware that V has a broader significance in the book as relating to such disparate references as stories of Venus, the concept of victory, and Vheissu.

[Anonymous No.8953491]

>>8953404
does eigenvalue= selfvalue

[Anonymous No.8953529]

>>8953491
I'm pretty sure it's so Pynchon could do this pun.

>If the soul-dentist knew (as Stencil was nearly sure he did), then "owner," Eigenvalue-defined, was Eigenvalue; Stencil-defined, V. It was a complete failure of communication. They parted friends.

[Anonymous No.8953540]

>>8953404
The whole book is actually about how Germans would pronounce it F, a symbol for what they did to the Herero

[Anonymous No.8953550]

>>8953540
explain pls.

[Anonymous No.8953626]

>>8953540

Do go on

[Anonymous No.8954774]

>>8953529
I don't get it

[Anonymous No.8954800]

>>8954774
So the pun is that a defined eigenvalue is a real mathematical concept.

In the context of the story, this phrase comes after Eigenvalue and Stencil have a discussion about property rights and that the "true owner" of something need not be in possession of it.

This refers to a set of dentures made of various precious metals that Eigenvalue suspects that stencil stole from him. The phrase means that while Eigenvalue considers himself the owner of the item, Stencil considers V. the owner.

[Anonymous No.8954811]

Do you guys get real nervous everytime you post on lit, thinking that just maybe Thomas Pynchon is reading your post and judging how extremely fucktarded you are?

I know i do

[Anonymous No.8954817]

>>8954811
Nah. Pinecone already wrote his computer technology book.

I'm betting he's putting together one more monolithic doorstopper about maybe the cold war or something.

It would be pretty crazy if he did write something specifically about 4chan though.

[Anonymous No.8955151]

>>8954811
> pynchon would post on captcha era 4chan

[Anonymous No.8955801]

>>8954800
cool, really cool, thank you

[Anonymous No.8955850]

>>8953404
I'm a pleb who kind of just forced my way through this book. Had trouble understanding the V. symbolism but I enjoyed Profane's character. I also really love the chapter "Confessions of Fausto Maijstral".