History YMMV / ThomasPynchon

* GrowingTheBeard: Although ''Literature/{{V}}'' and ''Literature/TheCryingOfLot49'' is considered fair and favorable among fans, it wasn't until ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'' where Pynchon's true brilliance is shown, and continues to gain wider recognition around the globe.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: His most acclaimed novel, ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'', is also one of his densest, and readers often report needing multiple attempts to get through it. It's for this reason that new readers are often advised to start with one of his shorter and "easier" works like ''Literature/TheCryingOfLot49'' or ''Literature/InherentVice'' before reading ''Gravity's Rainbow'', so that they'll already be going in with an appreciation of his style.

* GrowingTheBeard: Although ''Literature/{{V}}'' and ''Literature/TheCryingOfLot49'' is considered fair and favorable among fans, it wasn't until ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'' where Pynchon's brilliance is shown and continues to gain wider recognition around the globe.

* {{Tearjerker}}: For all the zany antics that go on in his books, moments of immense melancholy and sadness are also bound to show up, especially more pronounced in his post-''Gravity's Rainbow'' novels. Perhaps most apparent in ''Literature/{{Vineland}}'', which centers around the collapse of a family and their efforts to make things right again.

* {{Tearjerker}}: For all the zany antics that go on in his books, moments of immense melancholy and sadness are also bound to show up, especially that it becomes more pronounced in his post-''Gravity's Rainbow'' novels. Perhaps most apparent in ''Literature/{{Vineland}}'', which centers around the collapse of a family and their efforts to make things right again.

* GrowingTheBeard: Although ''Literature/{{V}}'' and ''Literature/TheCryingOfLot49'' is considered favorable among fans, it wasn't until ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'' where Pynchon's brilliance is shown and continues to gain wider recognition around the globe.

* GrowingTheBeard: Although ''Literature/{{V}}'' and ''Literature/TheCryingOfLot49'' is considered favorable among fans, it wasn't until ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'' where Pynchon's brilliance and true power is shown and continues to gain wider recognition around the globe.

* GrowingTheBeard: Although ''Literature/{{V}}'' and ''Literature/TheCryingOfLot49'' is considered favorable among fans, it wasn't until ''Literature/GravitysRainbow'' where Pynchon's true and earth-shattering power is shown through his brilliant writing and continues to gain wider recognition around the globe.

** The other two, arguably the strongest and even more profound in its intense raw emotions, ''Literature/MasonAndDixon'' and ''Literature/AgainstTheDay''.

* {{Tearjerker}}: For all the zany antics that go on in his books, moments of immense melancholy and sadness are also bound to show up, especially that it becomes more pronounced in his post-''Gravity's Rainbow'' novels. Perhaps most apparent in ''Vineland'', which centers around the collapse of a family and their efforts to make things right again.

** That theory was once published in an article of the ''Soho Weekly News''. Pynchon sent a reply: “Not bad. Keep trying.”

* GeniusBonus: One or the other, depending on the work; whichever it is, he’s probably the ''king'' of the trope in question.