RaveDefectorThe literary, metaphysical heft of Pynchon\'s work is important, though just as critical to the experience of reading him is the matter of how he accomplishes all of this. Which is to say: More than anything, Pynchon is funny ... That\'s never been more apparent than in the case of Shadow Ticket ... The mainstream literary press has largely characterized Shadow Ticket as Pynchon-lite, a fair reading of the book\'s relatively scaled-back depth and ambition. I would argue that\'s a matter of Pynchon having been proven right by reality to the point that all the once-hidden malignancy he obsessed over is now in the indisputable foreground of American life.
