49
For this particular context. It's short and just weird enough. Perfect pandemic read.
"V" and "Gravity's Rainbow" are brilliant but serious investments of time and sanity. I don't recommend these as first reads.
"Vineland" is good and accessible. So is "Bleeding Edge."
If you just want to get a taste of Pynchon, rent "Inherent Vice," the only movie ever based on his work. Faithful as it can be to his noir stoner detective novel.