Jun 12, 2025
What are you favorite and least favorite chapters in V? My favorite one is the one in Namibia with the guy catching electromagnetic signals from the sky. Even though its also filled with the descriptions of a genocide this chapter feels the most magical in the whole book with people being locked in, doing crazy excesses and one guy trying to decipher some crazy phenomena. Least favorite are all Malta ones. The guy who speaks in third person and has multiple versions of himself is the worst. Sucks that the book climax is there.
My favorite section is the Malta one. I love siege narratives and this is one of the best. It’s immediate and visceral but also attenuated, hallucinatory. It’s Pynchon at his best imo. Least fave scenes from what I recall are the Whole Sick Crew shenanigans. Still fairly amusing though. V. was my first Pynchon and for years it was my favorite. These days I rate M&D above it, but I still think V. Is really exceptional.
Hm, I liked most of the Profane parts, the art theft, and the South Africa part. It's the only Pynchon I've read but it made me want to read more.