#58 in Crime & mystery
Inherent Vice
- 387
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
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About the book
Inherent Vice is a novel by the American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published on August 4, 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to investigate a scheme involving a prominent land developer. Themes of drug culture and counterculture are prominently featured. It is considered a postmodern novel that warps the stylistic conventions of detective fiction. Critical reception was largely positive, with reviewers describing Inherent Vice as one of Pynchon's more accessible works. The novel was adapted into a film in 2014.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.0 across 157 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 46% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Crime & mystery average of 7.6. That is how 7.8 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.6 | 15 | 10% |
| Hardcover | 8.0 | 142 | 90% |
Frequently asked
What is Inherent Vice rated?
7.8 out of 10, from 157 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is Inherent Vice worth reading?
Readers give it 7.8/10 from 157 ratings, which puts it ahead of 71 % of the Crime & mystery shelf.
How long does it take to read Inherent Vice?
About 7 hours at an average reading pace — 387 pages.
Where does Inherent Vice rank?
#58 in Crime & mystery on the current snapshot.
How long is Inherent Vice?
It has 387 pages — longer than 51% of the ranked books in Crime & mystery.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Crime & mystery — and a score of 7.8, the closest to this book.
