Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
Here is a way to feel smart without much work and while getting drunk. Pynchon usually writes inaccessible postmodern novels like Gravity’s Rainbow. No one reads them but assholes and pariahs, who have the time to analyze it for months. However, his newest novel is not only accessible, but it’s also hilarious. The protagonist is like The Dude from The Big Lebowski. Set in ’60s Los Angeles, he’s permanently stoned but still a deft private eye. He satiates his munchies with oddities like beer-fried devil ray filet and jellyfish teriyaki croquettes at a restaurant called The Belaying Pin. As the waitress says when he orders such meals, “You’ll wanna be nice and drunk when this comes out, may I suggest the Tequila Zombie?” This cocktail turns you “Bukowski” after only one. Mix one, read a chapter, mix another, forget to read anymore, and know you’re a genius.
Tequila Zombie recipe
1 shot Vodka
1 shot Tequila
1 dash Creme de Menthe
1 shot Rum
Grapefruit Juice
Orange Juice
Was he also a former Ghostbuster?
