Thomas Pynchon

Lost Lambs: A pleasurably ridiculous story about the usual American neuroses

Madeline Cash is at her best when she really leans into the increasingly preposterous, Pynchonian rabbit holes of her plot

Sat Feb 07 2026 - 03:57

Shadow Ticket: Maybe Thomas Pynchon isn’t actually all that great

Pynchon has a remarkable grasp of the American vernacular and no ear for prose rhythm whatsoever

Wed Nov 05 2025 - 10:03

Paul Thomas Anderson: ‘Leonardo DiCaprio talks endlessly during prep, but once shooting starts he’s all in’

The director’s latest film, One Battle After Another, features three Oscar-winning actors and the impressive newcomer Chase Infiniti

Sat Sept 20 2025 - 05:17

Donald Clarke: The non-fungible token is beyond my understanding

Researching this new cultural phenomenon causes only headaches

Sat Nov 06 2021 - 05:00

Donald Clarke: The B&B paperback is dead

Up to the 1980s, every Irish B&B had bookshelves stuffed with books left by guests

Sat Aug 28 2021 - 05:00

Yes, you should feel bad for not finishing (insert classic novel here)

Donald Clarke: Guilt is an important aspect of life and a vital part of the reading experience

Sat Sept 28 2019 - 05:00

Asian cinema lights up Cannes but Star Wars gets the fireworks

There was plenty of Hollywood bling – and anger – at this year’s festival but new movies from Hirokazu Kore-eda and Ryusuke Hamaguchi were quieter highlights

Fri May 18 2018 - 05:00

Spoiler alert: People don’t hate spoilers . . . or do they?

Avengers: Infinity War directors have made sure the new film’s story remains a secret. But if they did tell you, would it really spoil the experience?

Sat Apr 21 2018 - 05:00

A shortcut to immortality: kill the president

With Steven Sondheim’s ‘Assassins’ opening at the Gate, what drives the perpetrators. from Booth to Oswald to Hinckley?

Sat Apr 07 2018 - 05:00

Sean Penn’s debut novel – repellent and stupid

The Oscar-winning actor’s foray into fiction, with Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff, has met derision online. Can it be that bad?

Fri Mar 30 2018 - 12:25

Mute: A Berlin-set Bowie tribute that says nothing at all

Review: Duncan Jones’s latest film is a nod his late father, David Bowie, but it feels weirdly threadbare. It’s not disastrous – just senseless and lacking a plot

Fri Feb 23 2018 - 09:00