Overview

• Published Oct. 7 by Penguin Press, it is Pynchon’s ninth novel and his first since 2013’s Bleeding Edge.
• Set in 1932 Milwaukee, the story follows PI Hicks McTaggart on a search for heiress Daphne Airmont that stretches into Eastern Europe and entangles gangsters, spies, and a clandestine cheese empire.
• Reviewers highlight signature absurdities, from an International Cheese Syndicate to musical pastiche and a deadpan riff on whether cheese is conscious.
• Critics place the book with Inherent Vice and Bleeding Edge for its humorous neo‑noir tone, leaner length, and inviting style.
• Bookstores reported midnight release events and publishers issued individually numbered advance copies, while some betting markets list the 88‑year‑old as a Nobel contender this week.