Jonathan Lethem & Thomas Pynchon

It’s our tenth episode! We’re celebrating by discussing Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem and The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. We focus on the in-over-their-heads heroes of both novels, Lionel Essrog and Oedipa Maas, as they try to do right by people who had past impact on them. Despite seeming disparate at the outset, both novels feature mysteries and seedy underbellies, big city semi-noir vibes, and plenty of conspiracy to go around.